Flats /high rise building safety against earthquake in rwp/isb.

[shahzadanwar1982 (Zarkon Anwar)]

Rwp & isb are situated in the earthquake zone. There is mushrooming of flats and apartments in high rise buildings. In this regard, i have following concerns and can someone shed light on these,

1- Which Earth resistant safety standards are followed and which govt institution is regulating and monitoring construction?

2- Do we have enough and appropriate fire engines which can throw water to these high rise buildings? Unfortunately in lahore the lda building it self got burnt few years back and there was no fire engine with enough throw power to cater fire.

3- If a person whats to buy them which NOCs regarding safety must be checked before purchase?

[mubashir_5 (MUBASHIR)]

Projects on Fault line follow stringent procedure for Earth quake resistance. U need not to worry as qualified Structural Engineer approve the map .

[yousafnoor (Abdul Qayyum)]

Mubashir Sb.
As per my little knowledge, Only Bahria is imposing earth-quake-safe standards both on house and commercials.
We are making a house in phase-8 and we had to lay a heavy and fat layer of concrete/steel bed down on the whole constructed area, apart from deep down columns.
I do not think DHAs and other societies are that much strict on the standards.

[aakash.ahmad (Imtiaz)]

Interesting topic and worth a discussion.

This is true that BTs (at-least theoretically) and to large extent practically too imposes good conditions for constructed structures as compared to the rest. In general, people many a time complain about construction costs and sometimes having an impression that in BT during house purchase they are being ripped off but construction can be expensive in BT due to more requirements for structure, compared to its counterpart societies.

Collapse of Margalla Towers in 2015 was a tragic incident and an eye opener but after decade+ of the incident no investigation had any findings/results. Hope the high risers have safe future due to human lives involved.

Why did Margalla Towers collapse? No answer yet

October 8, 2015

https://tribune.com.pk/story/969471/why-did-margalla-towers-collapse-no-answer-yet/

Unfortunately, the (public sector) structural engineers or their concerned departments can approve a high risers made out of paper and wood as fully fit, if one has enough $$ to massage their greed.

Another issue is land filling or depression areas. The structures constructed on them despite passing all structural checks may suffer gradual degradation over time. Following is also a discussion that I started sometime back on an unfortunate instance of BT LHR plaza collapse due to possible land excavation. Also, as a personal experience, I bought 7 Marla double story in Umer Block P-8 (about 4 - 5 years old) but some solid cracks started to emerge right under the ceiling.

In a nutshell, yes more standards/checks need to be imposed especially on the one that go beyond 2 stories whether residential and commercial. Also, land/soil can can be important to avoid filled or depressed plots to avoid any later hassle and big maintenance costs.

https://www.zameen.com/forum/discussions/buying_property/bahria_town_construction_standards_is_that_all_a_hoax_-29844.html

[aakash.ahmad (Imtiaz)]

Interesting topic and worth a discussion. I will try to add on the structural safety checks and structural cracks that emerge overtime. For sure there is a massive shortage of fire safety at society level and also at the state-level. Unfortunately, we are living in times where you can see ambulances and fire fighters being badly stuck in heavy traffic. Even if there is a full capacity, discipline is what lacks...

For example, these guys literally burning it off and themselves with their hands!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91b0YutUhHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NraoEKNlD8

This is true that BTs (at-least theoretically) and to large extent practically too imposes good conditions for constructed structures as compared to the rest. In general, people many a time complain about construction costs and sometimes having an impression that in BT during house purchase they are being ripped off but construction can be expensive in BT due to more requirements for structure, compared to its counterpart societies.

Collapse of Margalla Towers in 2005 was a tragic incident and an eye opener but after decade+ of the incident no investigation had any findings/results. Hope the high risers have safe future due to human lives involved.

Why did Margalla Towers collapse? No answer yet
October 8, 2015

https://tribune.com.pk/story/969471/why-did-margalla-towers-collapse-no-answer-yet/

Unfortunately, the (public sector) structural engineers or their concerned departments can approve a high riser even made out of paper and wood as fully fit, if one has enough $$ to massage their greed.

Another issue is land filling or depression areas. the structures constructed on them despite passing all structural checks may suffer gradual degradation over time. Following is also a discussion that I started sometime back on an unfortunate instance of BT LHR plaza collapse due to possible land excavation. Also, as a personal experience, I bought 7 Marla double story in Umer Block P-8 (about 4 - 5 years old: Constructed somewhere in 2013 - 2014) but some solid cracks started to emerge right under the ceiling.

In a nutshell, yes more standards/checks need to be imposed especially on the one that go beyond 2 stories whether residential and commercial. Also, land/soil can can be important to avoid filled or depressed plots to be saved from any later hassle and big maintenance costs.

https://www.zameen.com/forum/discussions/buying_property
/bahriatownconstructionstandardsisthatallahoax_-29844.html

[shahzadanwar1982 (Zarkon Anwar)]

Thankyou Imtiaz & AQ Bhai,

-- What i concluded so far is that BT have some standards but still with these checks you got a bad experience even with a double story.

---May be some builders have personally tried to address these things but without a Govt Regulatory authority its impossible to ensure.

---I would like to add the importance of multiple EXIT Routes in case of fire like there was none in GHAGHAR PLAZA Sadar rwp and it was horribly burnt.

--- Army housing scheme (Askari) have started giving Apartments to Army offers till Col Rank and good exmaple is DHAI2 apartments. Can any body share construction and fire engine available?