DOST-PHIVOLCS reiterates calls for building code compliance

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and its mother agency, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) last week reiterated calls for compliance to building codes —a plea made more urgent by the devastating effects of the earthquake in Japan last March 11. the use of good quality construction materials for safer homes in times of earthquakes. The call came after a shaking table test conducted on two full scale (or true dimension) Philippine model masonry houses in Tsukuba, Japan last February 24, 2011. Masonry houses are concrete hollow block (CHB) structures with no structural beams and columns. The DOST-PHILVOCS and Japan’s National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) conducted a 'shaking table test' on two full-scale Philippine model masonry houses in Tsukuba, Japan last February 24, 2011. Masonry houses are concrete hollow block (CHB) structures with no structural beams and columns. “The lesson in all these is that Filipino homes generally safer from earthquakes just as long as they follow prescribed guidelines in our building code, including the use of construction materials that pass quality standards, there are no shortcuts to safety," said PHILVOCS Director Renato Solidum. The need for strong homes and buildings came again to the fore in the wake of the magnitude 9 earthquake in Japan last March 11, as well as the recent quakes in New Zealand and China. According to PHILVOCS, the experiment is very important for awareness and disaster mitigation, because of the masonry type houses in the country are located in seismic prone areas. PHILVOCS said that it is necessary to investigate the seismic performance of the masonry houses because most casualties in past earthquakes occurred due to the collapse of these non-engineered buildings, the type widely favored by low-income families because they can be easily erected by the homeowners themselves or by neighbors. Sec. Mario Montejo said that the DOST will try to put up a shaking table in the country for similar tests. “With this kind of facility, we will be able to raise the level of seismic research by providing the means to replicate conditions that are identical to true earthquake ground motions," said Montejo. Once fully documented, the result of the test shall be used by PHILVOCS-DOST and its partner organizations toward improving and ensuring adherence to proper construction practices of houses especially for lower-income families. The agency will also come up with a checklist or awareness tool for homeowners to check if their houses are building compliant. The tool will also include viable, economic and safe retrofitting methods for existing substandard CHB houses and construction of new houses. Video footage of the shaking experiment is being distributed for public consumption for implementation and monitoring of construction standards especially for local government building officials for monitoring new construction substandard houses. The experiment is a collaborative project of DOST-PHILVOCS with Japan Science and Technology and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for Science Research Partnership for Sustainable Development under the program “Enhancement of Earthquake and Volcano Monitoring and Effective Utilization of Disaster Mitigation Information in the Philippines." — TJD, GMA News