Lack of Steel Reinforcement in Pillars Leads to Building Damage, Expert Warns

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Assoc. Prof. Tortrakul Yamnak on Facebook. Via Thai Newsroom

 

An alarming revelation has rattled the construction scene in Thailand. Former Engineering Institute of Thailand president, Assoc. Prof. Tortrakul Yamnak, has pointed out a severe construction flaw in buildings across Bangkok and Chiang Mai after a massive earthquake hit on March 28. The root of the issue? Columns that haven’t been reinforced with steel.

 

Tortrakul illustrates with grim detail that many tall buildings, some even eight stories high, showcase dangerous damage—not just superficial plaster cracks but real structural threats.

 

The academic insists that these cracks are due to pillars failing under seismic stress, warning the public to urge for immediate inspection by structural engineers.

 

This lapse in structural integrity stems from not adhering to updates in the Building Control Act, which mandates reinforcement designs tailored for earthquake resistance.

 

He stresses the significance of correct reinforcement patterns, advocating for rebar stirrups at strategic points like the base and top of columns on every level. These construction standards, verified through illustrations in recent building codes, are crucial for safeguarding against future tremors.

 

 

 

Assoc. Prof. Tortrakul has raised a call to action for structural engineers, urging them to master and execute the earthquake protocols stipulated in Thailand’s three-tiered hazard classification.

 

His insights, shared every Monday under "Open Your Mind to See Construction," serve as both a guide and a stern reminder of the gravity of precision in civil engineering.

 

In summary, a critical flaw has been exposed in how certain Thai structures have been built, potentially laying the groundwork for future devastation if not addressed.

 

Understanding and applying the correct building standards and act revisions could prevent such catastrophes, ensuring safer infrastructure in quake-prone areas.

 

Based on a story by Thai Newsroom

 

-- 2025-04-08

 

 

[ozz1]

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

[Showtime]

Say it isn't so.  Cutting corners to increase profits despite the risk of death all the while construction inspectors are paid to look the other way.  I heard this never happens in Thailand.

[worgeordie]

Might look OK on outside, but to save money ,only reason , lacking iron reinforcement

on the inside , builders hoping the buildings stay up long enough ,until guarantee is

up on them .then Earthquake and everything is there to see , substandard work.

 

regards Worgeordie 

[impulse]

It would be interesting to post the vintage of the buildings that are condemned and look at the building codes on the date they were built.  In a lot of the world, older buildings were built when codes weren't nearly as strict as they are today.  Thailand included.

 

[MikeandDow]

Alarmist post,!  to  try and apply modern day building codes to old building, Thailand knee jerk reaction, if this proffesor is saying to go back and bring the old buildings up to modern day codes this will cost multi billions baht?  damaged as shown in pic's need to be repaired  to  todays codes  colums not damage no need  Typical Thai, After the fact !!

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The root of the issue? Columns that haven’t been reinforced with steel.

 

This, and other scams, have been happening in Thailand - forever.

Pay the builder for rebar, he uses 'coat hanger' wire.

Pay for expensive waterproof cement and grout for the pool, he uses the standard non-waterproof version.

Pay for expensive tiles, he uses a cheap, knock-off ones.

In one case, I had to replace the whole roof including the steel supports to correct this one.

The cheaper ones were a slightly different size.

My son-in-law is a builder in the UK.

It is not much different there.

[Toby1947]

NEWS FLASH.

Bangkok condos for sale at the bargain price of 2 pork sausages each. 

[khunpeer]

5 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

and Thai authorities failed to check how these foreign companies work here...

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The academic insists that these cracks are due to pillars failing under seismic stress, warning the public to urge for immediate inspection by structural engineers.

Shouldn't this be done at the construction stage... just saying?

[John Drake]

Can these really be repaired adequately? 

[Mario Cosmopolite]

Yes Seismic retrofitting is well establish ed. Japan are  probably the most expert.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and inflammatory posts have been removed.

[Photoguy21]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Might look OK on outside, but to save money ,only reason , lacking iron reinforcement

on the inside , builders hoping the buildings stay up long enough ,until guarantee is

up on them .then Earthquake and everything is there to see , substandard work.

 

regards Worgeordie 

The Chinese are very good at making things look good but bad on actual quality.

[NoDisplayName]

6 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

 

If the Thais themselves don't care, why should anyone else?

[Formaleins]

Wow, who would have guessed it! Little Thai Peter robbing little Thai Paul! - I assume there will be a THAI signature on the building inspection documents that show it was built to code? I bet those damn foreigners had been whittling away at the concrete to uncover the rebar that they promptly stole, weighed in for scrap and then bought booze and drugs with the money.

[NoDisplayName]

6 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

 

Maybe I missed it.

 

Reread the article and found no mention of foreign companies.

[Srikcir]

Designing earthquake resistant high rise buildings goes beyond stiffened columns which in themselves may create points of stress by their stiffness.

"Top 5 Ways Engineers “Earthquake Proof” Buildings"

 

[Jonathan Swift]

6 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

I'm not well informed other than hearsay, are the Chinese contractors the worst offenders? Of course, you have to look at the bidding process and how they vet, or don't vet the contractors. Stating the obvious, human lives are not worth the amount of money saved with the lowest bidder building shoddy constructions using underpaid and untrained migrant employees. 

[Cat Boy]

7 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

Since the article never used the words, China nor Chinese, odd that you would implicate that country and those nationals specifically. 

 

Are you a Thai construction industry insider? 

 

Or just inherently sinophobic; seeing the dreaded "Red Terror" everywhere you look? 

[Gknrd]

  I know YouTube is nothing but a clickbait clown show. But, when I see this I automatically think of China, and the videos coming out showing building short cuts.   

[Negita43]

Not making excuses for the inexcusable BUT I believe I read somewhere that often the lowest quote for a construction is accepted but only if the constructor reduces the price still further.

If this is the case then it hardly makes for a "healthy" construction environment.

[statman78]

I agree that there are some Thai and Chinese companies that cut corners and do not follow codes.  If you look around and you will see hundreds of high rises that are still standing with little or no damage.  Our 27 story building has been examined by structural engineers and everything is fine.  There a number of reliable construction companies working in Bangkok.  We did a lot of research before we bought our condo years ago.

[ericbj]

"He stresses the significance of correct reinforcement patterns, advocating for rebar stirrups at strategic points like the base and top of columns on every level."

 

Perhaps something is lost in translation from the Thai, but "stirrups at strategic points" makes it sound as if they do not space them very closely !

[Stirrup translates as étrier in French which is what goes across a pillar (or beam) to link two main rebars where the pillar's large section requires additional main rebars between those near the four corners.  The corner main rebars are linked to one another by a cadre, or frame]

 

My understanding (I am not a structural engineer, so perhaps someone who is can comment on this) is that good seismic resistance calls for linking the reinforcing bars of supporting pillars with those of the beams they support.  So they become just a single structural item.  This is obviously labour-intensive and means the reinforced concrete must be cast in situ.

 

Of course the design of the Audit Department building did not make use of beams but instead counted upon its self-supporting floors to lock the pillars in place.

[lordgrinz]

Duh!

[ExpatOilWorker]

The list of inspected buildings. 

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1JWtFQ6eAsmKPNgmGSmY3LGytyeuG4UVT?usp=sharing

[ronnie50]

7 hours ago, Mario Cosmopolite said:

Yes Seismic retrofitting is well establish ed. Japan are  probably the most expert.

That's good to know. So he's right then. Have the older buildings with damage thoroughly inspected and retrofit as needed.

 

But I think many Thais and foreigners are still avoiding the main concern.. Bangkok experienced a large tremor from a very large and shallow earthquake 1,000 km away - and it caused 5,500 reports of damages. The same fault line runs diagonally down into the Andaman Sea from Myanmar and parallel with the Thai West Coast. If a similar strong and shallow earthquake happens in that area the result in metro Bangkok would be a massive disaster. The city's earthquake codes surely cannot account for high rise foundations - as deep as they may be - in soft reclaimed swamp land and expect them to just sway a bit like the tremor we had.

[Stargeezr]

I hope this will be a wake up call to build better, but I fear that corruption

is so strong in Thailand and Asia that this will not be the last building to collapse.

Good Luck to the people who have to work in these high rise sky scrapers.

[ThailandRyan]

19 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Suprise surprise Chinese building companies don't care about Thai procedures

Can you please elaborate and name these so called Chinese building companies....

[freedomnow]

Oooooof! Glad I never bought a condo.