Comments on: How Good Design and Building Codes Saved Lives During Chile’s Earthquake http://inhabitat.com/how-building-codes-saved-lives-during-chiles-earthquake/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Sat, 25 May 2013 08:49:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: dpizarrom http://inhabitat.com/how-building-codes-saved-lives-during-chiles-earthquake/comment-page-1/#comment-210774 dpizarrom Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:36:16 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/?p=90341#comment-210774 I'm writing from Concepción right now, since electricity is coming back to the city i'm now able to have a glimpse on what the world is saying about our country. In relation to this article, i agree. Architecture did save a lot of lives, but what really did cause most of the devastation was not the earthquake, but the lack of good decisions and the centralization in our government. Many lives would have been saved if our president would have reacted immediately right after the disaster, but she decided to wait a whole day. Architecture is important, but what what really failed here were the authorities. That said i have to say that i'm very impressed by the speed on which we are coming back to normal. Most of the city now has electricity and water, and food is coming from every corner of the world. The streets are being cleaned and trash is being recollected. All that and it's only been 4 days. We now have a long way to go to rebuild the country and our city, i only hope that in the future good decisions are taken. ps. the earhquake was just about 100 kms from Concepción, which is very very close to the city. But if by urban area you mean Santiago, then it was far from it. I’m writing from Concepción right now, since electricity is coming back to the city i’m now able to have a glimpse on what the world is saying about our country.
In relation to this article, i agree. Architecture did save a lot of lives, but what really did cause most of the devastation was not the earthquake, but the lack of good decisions and the centralization in our government. Many lives would have been saved if our president would have reacted immediately right after the disaster, but she decided to wait a whole day. Architecture is important, but what what really failed here were the authorities.
That said i have to say that i’m very impressed by the speed on which we are coming back to normal. Most of the city now has electricity and water, and food is coming from every corner of the world. The streets are being cleaned and trash is being recollected. All that and it’s only been 4 days.
We now have a long way to go to rebuild the country and our city, i only hope that in the future good decisions are taken.

ps. the earhquake was just about 100 kms from Concepción, which is very very close to the city. But if by urban area you mean Santiago, then it was far from it.

]]> By: lpoblete http://inhabitat.com/how-building-codes-saved-lives-during-chiles-earthquake/comment-page-1/#comment-210420 lpoblete Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:51:38 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/?p=90341#comment-210420 In Chile the main damages was caused by tsunami besides oldest buildings, most of them at down-towns of the cities, fortunately many buildings have resisted 8.8 earthquake like the bottom pictures. Does not meant inside of the buildings furnitures are in their right place, buildings are designed to absorb the earthquake energy, that means, depending of their tall the displacement of the top of the building can varies 20-30cm. or more as a part of the designing criteria. I am sure most of newest buildings/highways that has been collapsed, is due to a bad construction/design practices. Luis Poblete. Civil Engineer, University of Chile. http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolis_pcm/4393822568/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolis_pcm/4393780880/ In Chile the main damages was caused by tsunami besides oldest buildings, most of them at down-towns of the cities, fortunately many buildings have resisted 8.8 earthquake like the bottom pictures. Does not meant inside of the buildings furnitures are in their right place, buildings are designed to absorb the earthquake energy, that means, depending of their tall the displacement of the top of the building can varies 20-30cm. or more as a part of the designing criteria.

I am sure most of newest buildings/highways that has been collapsed, is due to a bad construction/design practices.

Luis Poblete.
Civil Engineer, University of Chile.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolis_pcm/4393822568/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolis_pcm/4393780880/

]]> By: nick_gogerty http://inhabitat.com/how-building-codes-saved-lives-during-chiles-earthquake/comment-page-1/#comment-210395 nick_gogerty Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:10:03 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/?p=90341#comment-210395 yes, design and standards helped, but the epicenter of the Chilean earthquake was much farther away from the urban area. Thus the energy release was significantly attenuated by the mass between the epicenter and the structures. good design and building codes definitely help, but getting them implemented and getting property registered in a proper cadastral database is a first start. We have to hack the bureaucracy for land registration for real impact. yes, design and standards helped, but the epicenter of the Chilean earthquake was much farther away from the urban area. Thus the energy release was significantly attenuated by the mass between the epicenter and the structures.

good design and building codes definitely help, but getting them implemented and getting property registered in a proper cadastral database is a first start. We have to hack the bureaucracy for land registration for real impact.

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