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Buildings Constructed In Armenia Are 'Deadly': Seismologists, Archit

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  • Buildings Constructed In Armenia Are 'Deadly': Seismologists, Archit

    BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED IN ARMENIA ARE 'DEADLY': SEISMOLOGISTS, ARCHITECTS RAISE ALARM ON SEISMIC SAFETY

    epress.am
    12.02.2011

    An earthquake is a natural disaster which is impossible to predict,
    but to try to predict and to take precautionary measures to avoid human
    and material loses is possible. Speaking about seismic safety in the
    region at a press conference in Yerevan today were deputy chair of the
    National Survey of Seismic Protection of the RA Ministry of Emergency
    Situations Ashkhen Tovmasyan, seismologist Vladimir Balasanyan and
    Union of Architects of Armenia chair Mkrtich Minasyan.

    "One of the main goals of 'seismic zoning' (a branch of earthquake
    studies) is to give reliable assessments of the maximum possible
    seismic hazard before starting construction work on any site, but
    regretfully, I have to say that the density of buildings in the capital
    has reached such monstrous heights that no rules are being considered,"
    said seismologist Vladimir Balasanyan.

    Ashkhen Tovmasyan, in turn, believes that being protected against
    earthquake has to become a nationwide issue.

    "Videos taken during the earthquake in Japan clearly show that even in
    those cases when the building is rocking, instead of people running
    outside, they try to stay calm and they even manage to gather the
    items that have fallen on the floor. But here, we don't yet have
    this rule of conduct - we still have much to do. Considering the
    consequences of and incurred losses from the 1988 earthquake, as a
    result of observing international practice since 1991, we've been able
    to teach people to protect themselves from earthquakes. Unfortunately,
    the efficiency and effectiveness of education become clear only after
    strong earthquakes. Only then do omissions emerge," she said.

    Mkrtich Minasyan is convinced that being in the most seismically
    active zone in the region requires much attention to be paid to
    observing urban development norms.

    Unlike in Japan, the buildings in Armenia are deadly, and to come
    out of a building in time doesn't suppose that a person can consider
    himself saved.

    "Yerevan is located within two seismic corridors - Garni and Ararat.

    Realizing the level of danger, we continue to construct buildings
    in excessive density, where there are no safeguards set aside for
    evacuating people in different emergency situations. Hence, in
    comparing [Armenia] with Japan we have to consider the fact that
    their buildings, when they collapse, maintain their construction,
    but in the case of our buildings, the picture is different - even
    if the building doesn't collapse, the sections of the building that
    fall from the building might cause greater damage to people than the
    earthquake itself," said Minasyan.

    The speakers were convinced that since building practices still don't
    observe the conditions defined by law, there will be huge losses in
    any earthquake that strikes Armenia.

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