In your view, how safe are the high-rise constructions going-on these days in Kathmandu Valley considering earthquake scenario?
"Concerned government authorities have made it mandatory to submit the Structural Design Drawings of high‐rises for construction approval. But it is NOT mandatory to be designed by Structural Engineers. In such, public seem to be perplexed to hire the Structural Engineers where Civil Engineers are practicing such designs using simplistic codal approach neglecting the Local soil effect, Building Dynamics, Structural Ductility and many more factors that are essentials elements for structural safety. Design prepared using such simplistic approach will be highly inaccurate hence unsafe incase of earthquakes"
"WE must not forget that recent Chilean Earthquake of magnitude Mw 8.8 claimed about 800 human lives whereas Haitian earthquake Mw 7.0 claimed more than 200, 000 human lives. Of course this huge difference in casualties was due to the non‐engineered buildings in Haiti which could have been saved by the use of proper technology"
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