Farangs Moving Out Of High Rise Condos ?

[pautai]

Stickman seems to suggest this week that farangs are worried about earthquakes effects on BK high rise buildings , any confirmation of this ? could have a bad effect on resale and purchase and rental prices of condo appartments ..

he doesnt say if Thais are similarly worried about earthquakes in BKK

[lopburi3]

Of course very few Thai live in high rise condos.

[Bluffer]

Some of the chicken little lot might be worried but I havent heard any of my friends running for underground bunkers.

Think he just had a space in the column this week and had to fill it with something so made up this.

However, having said that, I doubt the quality of some of the buildings here could stand a decent one. The odds of course are quite long but we all said that about tsunamis.

[PvtDick]

Not me: I just bought a condo on the 34th floor.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Not me:  I just bought a condo on the 34th floor.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tell me again about San Francisco.

[Digger]

I would not be concerned about earthquake affecting Bangkok - given that the pillars in buildings here hold the weight, I would not be concerned at cracks in walls (given that the rendering is generally 1-2cm thick hand mixed low grade cement with no steel content) and they are not holding the building up. Cracks in pillars though would be a little bit more worrying.....

[pautai]

i wonder if the new constructions about to come online will revamp their designs to make the building EQ sustainable ?

I can see prospective buyers quibbling about whether the building can sustain tremors

, so would any sensible developer go ahead with existing plans knowing that he might not be able to shift his apartments when they are finished a year or two hence ?

i can see the adverts claiming the building is Earthquake Proof ! just another selling point

that others may not have ..

Thai constructions are dodgy enough as it is without factoring in tremors and EQs ....

[udon]

I would never rent/buy higher than the 4th (3rd-UK) for fear of a fire.

You could survive a jump from that height but not any higher.

Have you ever seen the local fire brigade trying to get thru BKK's traffic?

Or the length of their ladders?

[Marmite the Dog]

If Bangkok was in an earthquake zone I'd worry, but as it isn't, I don't.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If Bangkok was in an earthquake zone I'd worry, but as it isn't, I don't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I reckon that you are on the money Marmite. Good boy

[Thaiquila]

I recently read in the Nation that Bangkok has been reclassified as a moderate earthquake risk, upgrading from no risk, because apparantly the earthquake from Sumatra was felt in Bangkok. Sounds like fishy logic to me because the Sumatra quake was about as severe as they get, and caused no damage in Bangkok. I think I recall something about that the effect of this is that future construction will take quake defense into account

In any case, does anyone know if Chonburi province (Pattaya) was also upgraded to be an earthquake risk?

[pautai]

looks like they are going to beef up buildings to cope with EQs >>>>>

Stronger buildings planned

TUL PINKAEW

The Council of Engineers says it is willing to work with the Public Works Department to design buildings capable of withstanding earthquakes of up to 6.0 on the Richter scale.

Executive member Krai Tungsanga suggested homes, hotels and high-rise offices in the six tsunami-hit provinces be rebuilt to comply with earthquake zone regulations and codes of practice.

The Dec 26 tsunami was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake near Sumatra.

Buildings in greater Bangkok, said Mr Krai, should also be designed with earthquake risks in mind, as the city sits on a large bed of marine clay, which can magnify the effect of earth tremors.

The agency has sent a report to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra about how to safeguard buildings against earthquakes.

A map of earthquake-prone areas was needed, it said. City plans should be revamped, and building codes changed.

''It should take around three months before the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department is ready to reveal what to do next, and we will help in any way we can,'' said Mr Krai.

The building codes concerning quake-risk zones apply only to buildings in nine northern provinces and Kanchanaburi.

All new structures should be able to withstand medium-strength earthquakes, or those measuring up to 5-6 on the Richter scale, since those provinces are in at-risk spots, he said.

Mr Krai also called for local planning officers to enforce laws banning the construction of any permanent building within 400 metres of beaches.

''Public land must also be kept public, which means we should not allow vendors to set up shop on land that might be needed to evacuate people.''

Tossaporn Sree-Iam, a committee member, said the council had devised a low-cost method of reinforcing buildings to withstand earthquakes.

''In many buildings today, the first floor is open, but upper floors have multiple walls and frames. If an earthquake hits, most damage occurs in the weak first storey and this destabilises the rest of the building,'' he says.

[lional6]

looks like they are going to beef up buildings to cope with EQs >>>>>

Stronger buildings planned

TUL PINKAEW

The Council of Engineers says it is willing to work with the Public Works Department to design buildings capable of withstanding earthquakes of up to 6.0 on the Richter scale.

Executive member Krai Tungsanga suggested homes, hotels and high-rise offices in the six tsunami-hit provinces be rebuilt to comply with earthquake zone regulations and codes of practice.

The Dec 26 tsunami was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake near Sumatra.

Buildings in greater Bangkok, said Mr Krai, should also be designed with earthquake risks in mind, as the city sits on a large bed of marine clay, which can magnify the effect of earth tremors.

The agency has sent a report to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra about how to safeguard buildings against earthquakes.

A map of earthquake-prone areas was needed, it said. City plans should be revamped, and building codes changed.

''It should take around three months before the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department is ready to reveal what to do next, and we will help in any way we can,'' said Mr Krai.

The building codes concerning quake-risk zones apply only to buildings in nine northern provinces and Kanchanaburi.

All new structures should be able to withstand medium-strength earthquakes, or those measuring up to 5-6 on the Richter scale, since those provinces are in at-risk spots, he said.

Mr Krai also called for local planning officers to enforce laws banning the construction of any permanent building within 400 metres of beaches.

''Public land must also be kept public, which means we should not allow vendors to set up shop on land that might be needed to evacuate people.''

Tossaporn Sree-Iam, a committee member, said the council had devised a low-cost method of reinforcing buildings to withstand earthquakes.

''In many buildings today, the first floor is open, but upper floors have multiple walls and frames. If an earthquake hits, most damage occurs in the weak first storey and this destabilises the rest of the building,'' he says.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Liquefaction is a physical process that takes place during some earthquakes that may lead to ground failure. As a consequence of liquefaction, soft, young, water-saturated, well sorted, fine grain sands and silts behave as viscous fluids rather than solids. Liquefaction takes place when seismic shear waves pass through a saturated granular soil layer, distort its granular structure, and cause some of its pore spaces to collapse. The collapse of the granular structure increases pore space water pressure, and decreases the soil's shear strength. If pore space water pressure increases to the point where the soil's shear strength can no longer support the weight of the overlying soil, buildings, roads, houses, etc., then the soil will flow like a liquid and cause extensive surface damage

[pautai]

If Bangkok was in an earthquake zone I'd worry, but as it isn't, I don't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the strata BKK buildings are built on has the same consistency as Marmite ,from my observations kinda sludgy and squidgy like

[pautai]

City urges caution about land instability

Possible sinkholes as a result of seismic activity

Suchada Tupchai

The public relations office at Pattaya City Hall has issued a cautionary warning to residents concerning the possibility of sinkholes occurring in the region due to the after effects of the seismic activity off the shore of Indonesia and the subsequent tsunami.

The warning was issued for 49 provinces after a number of sinkholes and incidences where the ground had moved building structures were reported at 19 locations in Thailand.

Pattaya officials have urged building owners and residents to report such incidents or any extraordinary building movements. They also urged that if residents see the beginnings of a sinkhole that they stay at last 100 meters away from it.

Chonburi has been included in the 49 provinces with potential problem areas being identified as Chonburi City area: Huay Kapi sub-district; Sriracha District: Bangpra, Surasak, Tunhsukhla sub districts; Sattahip: Sattahip, Plutaluang, Bang Saray and Saemsarn sub-districts; Borthong district: Borthong and Ponwongtong sub-districts.

Reports should be directed to the Department of Mineral Resources at telephone 02-2023744-5. Visit the website www. dmr.go.th for further information.

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[pautai]

from the pattaya mail this week

EDITORIAL: Don’t lose your footing

Suchada Tupchai

It appears we might be in for even more headaches caused by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that recently hit the southern part of Thailand. The government has just released a warning to the country: watch out for sinkholes.

Lertsin Raksasakulwong, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, recently released the warning after people in the south and northeast of the country began getting “that sinking feeling”.

The first warning sign usually shows up in areas where there are large amounts of concrete, i.e., boundary walls cracking due to the effects of earth movement. The second warning signs include an odd sound of falling earth, or water seeping through concrete for no apparent reason, or cracks in paths 3-5 meters in length and with a spider web appearance.

It seems as if nature is reacting from the shock. Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources director has announced 49 provinces where there is potential for such incidents to occur. Chonburi is one of those provinces. However, so far there has been very little reaction from officialdom to the alarming warnings and potential danger in Chonburi, and chances are that little fuss will be made in the other provinces either.

Yet another phenomenon relating to moving earth to watch out for is the opportunity for landslides instead of sinkholes. Evidently there are two main opportunities for this to happen: firstly if the ground is soft and secondly if there is an embankment.

Even though these two issues (sinkholes and landslides) have been made public, so far no one is game enough to point out exactly where the potential hazards could be located, as there has been no solid evidence to substantiate any claims.

However, the most worrying thing - if there is potential for a sinkhole - is the number of buildings and construction sites that have altered their structures illegally throughout the country, leaving a possibility for catastrophe looming like dark clouds on the horizon of a sunny day. Effective town and country planning has never been Thailand’s strong point, and enforcing strict and safe building codes is still all but non-existent.

The current building control legislation for multistoried buildings allows for regular settling and minor earth movement. But building owners appear not to be interested in the issue because “it could never happen to them”. That is also what everyone thought about a tsunami hitting Thailand.

The opportunity is there and it is up to lawmakers and officials to enforce building laws to enable multi-story structures to handle extreme conditions. Structures already completed can be reinforced but the time to change is now. Thailand is a growing country and the need to tighten building regulations is at hand.

Earnest catastrophe prevention and solving building issues today should not be thought of as short-term profit/loss (although addressing these issues now could very well avoid major losses, which would lead to bigger profits, at a later date), but are instead our responsibility to society.

To people who cannot see the problem, in the end it could very well be - sorry, it’s too late! You’ve lost your footing on the present - no chance to correct the problem once the damage is done.

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[morphic]

haven't any of you heard about gloabl warming? in 10 years there could easily be earthquakes in Bangkok! geez, read the newspapera you luddites.

[pautai]

BANGKOK / SEISMIC ACTIVITY

New map reclassifies capital as quake-prone

RANJANA WANGVIPULA

Geologists have added Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces to the national map of quake-prone areas for fear of more violent seismic activity arising from the undersea quake off Sumatra that caused the deadly tsunamis in December.

Bangkok had been previously classified as having a low earthquake risk, but the magnitude 9.0 quake on Dec 26 has geologists worried it may have activated fault lines in western Thailand.

Only 10 provinces in the North and West of the country, including Kancha-naburi where there are two large dams, have been listed as areas most vulnerable to earthquakes and are in so-called ``red zones''.

But geologists believe the recent quake that caused tidal waves and destruction required a rewrite of the map of quake-prone areas. Bangkok, with many high-rise buildings, needed to be included.

``Bangkok soil is, by nature, soft clay, which can amplify quake magnitudes by two or three times,'' said Somsak Potisat, chief of the Mineral Resources Department.

The department rleased a 2005 version of the national quake-risk map yesterday during a two-day international seminar on establishing a tsunami early warning system.

The map put Bangkok and neighbouring provinces such as Samut Prakan, one of the country's most industrialised areas, at higher risk of a future quake.

The department plans to forward the new map to the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning and ask for a new law requiring stronger building design in the future.

The move quickly prompted Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suvit Khunkitti to call for reinforcement of existing buildings so they would be more resistant to unpredictable quakes.

``The public should not panic,'' senior chief engineer Thiraphan Thongpravati, of the Department of Public Works and Town Country Planning said after learning of the new map. Engineers had always been aware of possible quake risk when designing buildings in Bangkok.

A special panel under the Building Control Committee is also reviewing legal requirements for future building design, which would force engineers to adjust building specifications so they would be able to resist stronger quakes.

``The Dec 26 quake was a load test for Bangkok buildings on how their strength resisted tremors,'' Mr Thiraphan said.