New Buildings May Be Required To
Be Quake Proof
30/03/2005 Bernama
IPOH, March 30 (Bernama) -- 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 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
Wednesday. The workshop was opened by Perak Menteri 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
anti-earthquake building technologies was needed as tremors were felt in
several areas in the peninsula.
"This is a new phenomenon. Tremors were felt in Alor Setar, 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.
The latest 8.5 magnitude earthquake has reportedly claimed more than 430
lives on Indonesia's Nias Island, located off the west coast of Sumatera
with the body count still mounting. Tremors were felt as far away as the
east coast of Malaysia and Singapore.
The quake comes in the wake of the one on Dec 26, which sent giant waves
crashing into 12 countries fringing the Indian Ocean, killing over 273,000
people. However, this time the quake did not unleash deadly tsunamis.
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.
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 12.09 am quake in Sumatrea.
"A one-metre sinkhole also appeared near my house after the last December
quake, but the Geoscience and Minerals Department confirmed my house to be
safe," he added.
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