New building guidelines may
include quakeproof measures
30/03/2005The Sun
The Peninsular Malaysia Town and Country Planning Department is planning
guidelines for building structures to take into consideration foundations
that can withstand earthquakes.
Its Director-General, Mohd Fadhil Mohd Khir said today at the moment the
department has 43 guidelines but none of them provide for earthquakes.
"We are thinking of a guideline stressing anti-earthquake measures. There
were none before this because Malaysia is not in the seismic activity
zone," he said at a town and country planning workshop for Perak here.
The workshop was opened by Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli
Ghazali.
Mohd Fadhil said though the epicentre of the latest earthquake last
Saturday was in the waters off West Sumatra, the use of new
earthquakeproof building technologies was needed as tremors were felt in
several areas in the peninsula.
"This is a new phenomenon. Tremors were felt in Alor Star, Penang, Ipoh
and Kuala Lumpur," he said.
Several sinkholes appeared in Ipoh, and one house was badly damaged when
part of the building collapsed into a sinkhole. No one was injured.
Mohd Fadhil said the new building guidelines would incorporate the use of
rubber which would be good for the rubber industry.
"Whether it will be made compulsory or not will depend on studies being
carried out," he said, adding that the guidelines would also provide for
evacuation routes from buildings in times of emergencies.
Meanwhile, Tajol Rosli said he would ask municipal and district councils
in Perak to require piling works to be done before projects for building
of houses and high rises were undertaken.
"The Kinta Valley is mostly ex-mining land. If we don't do piling, there
will be problems ... housing estates normally do, but houses built in
kampungs don't," he said.
He said the Geoscience and Minerals Department could cooperate with the
councils to study soil structure in areas to be developed.
He was referring to a house in Kuala Dipang near here, which collapsed
about 30 minutes after the 12.09am quake in Sumatrea.
"A one-metre sinkhole also appeared near my house after the last December
quake, but the Geoscience and Minerals Departement confirmed my house to
be safe," he added.
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