Many Tall Buildings In Bangkok Lack Specific Anti-Quake Features

[Crushdepth]

Anti-quake features? How many have actually got acceptable anti-fire features?

[I Like Thai]

Do some of you really spend most of your time worrying about what might happen

[Tanaka]

- "They are designed to deal with wind load and shear stress, so they can withstand moderate quakes," Winai Limsakul, chief of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administra-tion's Public Works Department, said yesterday.

What if that statement were true, what good would it be when the actual build did not follow the design?

[Crushdepth]

Do some of you really spend most of your time worrying about what might happen

Sometimes. When I'm riding my motorbike down the wrong side of the road in my shorts and flip flops, with my helmet perched on top of my head so I can yak on the mobile phone and smoke, in the dark with my lights switched off, and the kids on the back.

But then I think...nah...what could go wrong?

[osiboy]

maybe Obama will now be advised to stay in one of the short- time rooms around soi 1-3 as they all seem to be ground floor

[fish fingers]

The quality of concrete is the most important issue; there are several residentials in bangkok with structural problems inc State Tower.

Should be renamed very bad state tower!

It wd be fairly easy for a group of farang owners to take concrete samples of each condo and set up a database of good and bad structures

Edited November 14, 2012 by fish fingers

[pandy]

The article doesn't even mention the fact that Bangkok is built on a swamp and that liquefaction is most likely to occur if there is any decent sized quake in the area.

Exactly. The area of greatest damage in the last sizable San Francisco quake was down toward the bay on filled land where they said liquefaction had occured.

I have a house in Santa Cruz, the epicenter of that quake. It did some pretty major damage many miles away. At first I couldn't believe the epicenter was so close to me, with all the damage I saw up in the SF Bay area.

Hay is this eric dad.

just a guess cuz you are the only one i know living in thailand that has a house up in the hills in santa cruze.

if this is eric dad Sawadeekap.

[pandy]

with the amount of wires outside on the streets and the old buildings with bad cement construction i dont think there is any place to run.

if you go outside i am sure you will be hit but a snapping wire. if you stay inside i am sure the cement will fall from the walls and hit you.

if you run outside and stand under the door way i am sure the door way will fall.

i think its good to plan everyday before you go into a shopping mall or a place of business on how to get out just in case a earthquake was to hit. stay the hell out from high rise parking lots all the time and always have a escape plan ready for that un expected earthquake.

i have been in many earthquakes in my life and growing up since the 1st grade we always had earthquake and fire drills.

i am ready and i hope you are to.

[Greer]

I am inclined to think that although having basic earthquake safety measures in place and legislation to emply some level of quake readiness in building construction, we may be getting a little carried away.

Its true that the Myanmar earthquake was "felt" in Bangkok, 1,200 Km away (not 12,000). But at 6.8, which is reasonably high in an unpreapred country, the true effects on bangkok are not going to be huge - and they weren't.

Bangkok is not on an active fault line, so comparisons with places like NZ, California, are not terribly valid. I spent 7 months living in Taipei and we had regular earthquakes virtually all the time, but you dont feel them there until they get to around 5.0 or more. I was in my hotel room for a 6.2 quake, but of course most high rises in Taipei, if not all, are designed to withstand it. The 6.2 shook the place, and it was a bit worrying, but it never felt so bad that I was concerned that the building would fall...

The point is that all this talk of people being stupid for working in Bangkok high-rises without knowing if the building is earthquake proof is the silliest thing I have heard - if we were on a fault zone, or even known to have local earthquakes on a regular basis, yes, its a good idea to know, but as this is not the case, this frenzy is all a bit much.

I dont think liquefaction is a real concern at the sort of level of seismic activity we are likely to experience in Bangkok.

I may be wrong about all this but I think we need to ask an expert before we all start running for the hills.

[masterbiker49]

Shoulda, coulda.

Wasn't aware Bangkok was 'far away' from Myanmar (seismic-wise). Anyhow, the Deputy City Clerk says there's nothing to worry about (because an improved and integrated response plan is to be discussed sometime in the future, just in case)

Intergrated Plan? -- Take firm hold of Buttocks,bend over & kiss it goodbye

[Pimay1]

Shoulda, coulda.

Wasn't aware Bangkok was 'far away' from Myanmar (seismic-wise). Anyhow, the Deputy City Clerk says there's nothing to worry about (because an improved and integrated response plan is to be discussed sometime in the future, just in case)

Intergrated Plan? -- Take firm hold of Buttocks,bend over & kiss it goodbye

Now, now lets don't be too quick to judge the good Deputy City Clerk. I am quite confident he is just as qualified to see after earth quake matters as Plodprasop was the flood last year. And we all know what a tremendous job he did. He kept the deaths below 1,000 people with a few missing that have never been found.

[antpet]

The 'many' word is an indicator to the casual approach to this topic.

In so 'many' things [ 99.9%] we see that Thais are represented by unqualified, unknowledgeable idiots who do not consult the few experts that they have. That takes too much time, trouble and effort. Besides a good or bad job does not increase the money you earn. Only increased corruption does and no one ever got rich being honest; at least on Thai soil anyhow.

These stories where Thais venture into Western topics and imagine they can comprehend actual safety standards are merely grist to the mill. This place is third world. Life is cheap, corruption rules, apathy reigns, never mind is the response and no one is ever held responsible. Thais, as a people, do not accept personal responsibility or accountability in anything.

It is as if the 21st century replaced the 14th and thais suddenly discovered motorbikes for all and flash cars for some. There was no evolution toards wealth or technology, industry or understanding. Like something from Star Trek beamed down one day and they all found themselves living 400 years in the future without the means to comprehend or play catch up.

And so we have the science of seismology, grasped only in 3 universities, being discussed by feudal barons who occupy government by way of murdering, intimidating and thieving their way to power for generation after generation. Even the US mafia tried to legitimise itself byway of business fronts in order to launder money. Here no one cares where the money comes from as long as you have it.

Unfortunately, for the Thais they are found out in their incompetence when they have to open their mouths and explain themselves. Hence we have no stats that stand up; merely the use of that vague word 'many.'

There are laws as there are planning regs, but anyone with a grain of sense knows they are circumvented, never applied, not necessary. Buildings are thrown up, stuffed with little red bricks, cement is substandard, concrete incorrectly mixed intentionally and pay offs made.

As I've always said you have to accept that Thais do this ultimately to themselves. That is the real beauty of their art. We can comment all we like but in reality it is their country and their people that they harm. We do know better but we are not to be listened to due to the inherent racist nature of Thais, who are told how superior they are. Hitler had Goerbels belting out the propaganda to convince a generation. Thais have each other, media brain washing, an Orwellian society, streets lined with informants and a people who are trapped in 'their place' without hope or aspiration.

If Hitler had got anywhere near that we'd all be speaking German and eating bratwurst.

The concrete and the clay will crumble and no one will bat an eye.

Thailand.