Filipino architect Jun Palafox said the recent earthquake that shook Luzon should urge government stakeholders and developers to check the integrity of the buildings in the country.
“Another wake up call. Dapat even before the earthquake mag-structural audit na ‘yung mga building and retrofit,” Palafox said.
Palafox added that engineers and architects, especially those who oversee high-rise buildings must review their structural design calculations in the face of strong tremors.
Relating to his own practice, he said his design process involves going beyond the country’s standards and borrowing from international building codes and best practices in creating quake-resilient structures.
As for what happened in Porac, Pampanga, Palafox inferred that the soil condition in the area might have played a big role. He also underscored the importance of conducting a technical study on such before constructing buildings.
He also warned the public not to be complacent even if their houses and other structures near them have withstood previous earthquakes.
“May mga building owners nga sabi sa akin na ilang beses na silang naka-survive ng earthquake. Hindi ho guarantee ‘yan. Kapag maraming earthquake nang nangyari, the more you should structural audit them (the buildings),” Palafox said.
Source: GMA News
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