Tweet
About 80% of residential houses in Yerevan are not earthquake
resistant: seismologist
YEREVAN, August 15. /ARKA/. About 80% of residential houses in Yerevan
are not earthquake-proof and may collapse in case of a strong
earthquake, a seismologist Vladimir Balasanian said today.
Earlier head of a unit of the National Seismic Protection Service of
the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Valery Arzumanyan, told in an
interview with ARKA news agency that Yerevan may become an epicenter
of a quake if the so-called Yerevan gab, which is still poorly
investigated, becomes active. However, the seismic activity of this
gap has not been confirmed, he said.
"Most of the buildings in Yerevan were built during the Soviet period.
Over time, they had deteriorated, and if, God forbid, a strong
earthquake happens, about 80% of the housing will completely destroy,"
Balasanian told a news conference.
According to him, the foundations of many buildings in the capital
have weakened because of remodeling carried out in different years
either by tenants or as a result of construction of shops and
restaurants in basements.
Balasanian also said that the recently built buildings will not
withstand possible quakes either due to the excessive density of their
arrangement. According to the seismologist, in such a situation, any
earthquake in the capital could become a national catastrophe. To
avoid this Balasanian proposed to reinforce the residential buildings.
"There are special rubber shock absorbers that are put into the
foundation of the building and in the event of an earthquake they can
weaken the effect of seismic waves," he said.
On December 7, 1988 the devastating earthquake hit Armenia's northern
parts nearly destroying two cities - Spitak and Leninakan (now Gyumri)
and over one hundred villages.. In t the epicenter of the earthquake -
in the city of Spitak (North Armenia), the force of the earthquake was
10 points on a 12-point scale. The quake, according to official
figures, killed 25,000 lives and left 140,000 disabled and half a
million people homeless. -0-
resistant: seismologist
YEREVAN, August 15. /ARKA/. About 80% of residential houses in Yerevan
are not earthquake-proof and may collapse in case of a strong
earthquake, a seismologist Vladimir Balasanian said today.
Earlier head of a unit of the National Seismic Protection Service of
the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Valery Arzumanyan, told in an
interview with ARKA news agency that Yerevan may become an epicenter
of a quake if the so-called Yerevan gab, which is still poorly
investigated, becomes active. However, the seismic activity of this
gap has not been confirmed, he said.
"Most of the buildings in Yerevan were built during the Soviet period.
Over time, they had deteriorated, and if, God forbid, a strong
earthquake happens, about 80% of the housing will completely destroy,"
Balasanian told a news conference.
According to him, the foundations of many buildings in the capital
have weakened because of remodeling carried out in different years
either by tenants or as a result of construction of shops and
restaurants in basements.
Balasanian also said that the recently built buildings will not
withstand possible quakes either due to the excessive density of their
arrangement. According to the seismologist, in such a situation, any
earthquake in the capital could become a national catastrophe. To
avoid this Balasanian proposed to reinforce the residential buildings.
"There are special rubber shock absorbers that are put into the
foundation of the building and in the event of an earthquake they can
weaken the effect of seismic waves," he said.
On December 7, 1988 the devastating earthquake hit Armenia's northern
parts nearly destroying two cities - Spitak and Leninakan (now Gyumri)
and over one hundred villages.. In t the epicenter of the earthquake -
in the city of Spitak (North Armenia), the force of the earthquake was
10 points on a 12-point scale. The quake, according to official
figures, killed 25,000 lives and left 140,000 disabled and half a
million people homeless. -0-