Tweet
CORRUPTION THAT MAY TAKE 300,000 LIVES
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
22:02 06/12/2012
Interview with the president of the Save Schools of Yerevan
from Earthquakes Foundation, the Armenian Association of Seismic
Construction, Doctor, Professor Michael Melkumyan
Mr. Melkumyan, a building collapsed on Khanjyan Street in the middle
of construction. If buildings collapse without an earthquake, what
is to be expected if an earthquake takes place?
In fact, the seismic risk is high, we have the burden of building
in Soviet times. The seismic building norms that applied across the
Soviet Union did not reflect geographic peculiarities of states. The
seismic risk was underestimated. Armenia was just a dot on the map for
the Communist Party leaders and they saw no reason for more expensive
construction. The costs of building resistant to magnitude 8 will
be 8-10% more compared with a building resistant to magnitude 8. The
costs of a building resistant to magnitude 9 would go up by 16-20%.
This was not in line with their goals so they went in for cheap
buildings resulting in the consequences of Spitak earthquake.
Therefore, now it is necessary to protect the existing buildings,
especially schools, hospitals and the buildings of government from
where the officials will rule.
Are they not competent enough to understand the problem or are they
avoiding expenses?
I would say both. We have competent bodies, the Ministry of
Emergencies, I am far from thinking that people here are not aware
of the importance of the issue but awareness is not enough, it is
necessary to act. In fact, big sums are requires to resolve the
issue but we are not saying that we need to begin the process of
reinforcing buildings at once. We say let's begin with buildings which
are usually crowded, such as schools, hospitals. For reasons which I
cannot understand we do not attach important to the issue. Now Yerevan
is such that 80% of buildings will collapse if an earthquake equal to
Spitak happens. It will take 300,000 lives, there will be an immense
number of people with disabilities and homeless people.
Recently the head architect of Yerevan Narek Sargsyan has stated that
the newly-built buildings are safe from earthquakes.
I immediately disagree. Corruption is flourishing in our country
which is a major concern, including for building. With such levels of
corruption I am not sure that building is compliant. Unfortunately,
design companies are growing like mushrooms and they design high-rise
buildings but the levels of these organizations are below the average
because it is very easy to get a license in Armenia. There is one thing
that reassures. The new seismic norms set down after the earthquake
in Spitak are more demanding than those of the Soviet Union. The only
hope is that having been designed in compliance with the new norms (if
they certainly do comply) these buildings will stand strong earthquakes
but it is not clear whether the designers follow the design strictly,
it is not clear to what degree the building complies with design. One
of the examples is the collapsed building.
There are buildings which already have cracks. However, I don't want
to attribute this to building in general. I hope that some building
companies, and we have several professional companies, do their job
propery but the other greater part are not professionals, they do not
have a qualified personnel. 70% of builders do not have a relevant
education and training and neither do their managers. This is the
consequence of corruption. To say that new buildings are reliable is
a superficial approach.
I am far from the thought that the authorities want bad-quality
construction but the government does not create preconditions
which will indicate that it is built well. Licensing must be rigid,
whereas there are a lot of inspection companies which can accept
money and issue a license for construction. This is something that
can be regulated.
Mr. Melkumyan, are stone buildings safer than panel buildings? In the
real estate market stone buildings are more expensive due to their
seismic stability.
There is a wrong perception that stone buildings have more seismic
stability. It is totally wrong because stone buildings are vulnerable
of all. They think if the walls are thick, the stone buildings
are more comfortable to live, this is absurd in terms of seismic
stability. Buildings built of large panels are more or less reliable.
I can state for sure that we do not have reliable buildings built
during the Soviet Union. If there is a specialist who will insist on
the opposite, I am ready to argue. A building designed for magnitude
7 cannot be reliable because we expect earthquakes magnitude 9 under
the RA seismic norms.
On experts learned lessons from the earthquake of Spitak, they are
few, we are not a nation that learns lessons from history. Spitak
and Gyumree were ruined because buildings were built to match
underestimated seismic risks while the seismic impact on the buildings
was 4 times stronger than they could resist. At that time the Communist
Party launched a campaign that the Armenians did not ensure quality
of building which was not the main reason of collapse of the buildings.
I have devoted my scientific activities to the issue of seismic
protection of the existing buildings and since 93-94 I have been
working on new technologies. I developed new technologies based on
the idea of seismic isolation which enables effective protection of
buildings and prevention of their collapse during earthquakes. We can
gradually cut the building foundations and place base isolators. The
base isolators are rubber and metal units which are produced here in
Armenia ensuring their high quality and we test those units. We are a
world leader because we have been able to cut the base of one block
of apartments and one school and place them on isolators without
evacuating the residents. They immediately turn a weak building
earthquake safe. I use this technology in new buildings. We have
already 37 such buildings.
Recently I have set up the Save Yerevan Schools from Earthquakes
Foundation, I raise money all over the world, turn to my colleagues
in different countries who are already donating small sums.
Every year they repair roads. Is it so urgent in a country with
danger of earthquakes or is it a matter of corruption? The government
officials must understand that we are living on a "volcano"?
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
22:02 06/12/2012
Interview with the president of the Save Schools of Yerevan
from Earthquakes Foundation, the Armenian Association of Seismic
Construction, Doctor, Professor Michael Melkumyan
Mr. Melkumyan, a building collapsed on Khanjyan Street in the middle
of construction. If buildings collapse without an earthquake, what
is to be expected if an earthquake takes place?
In fact, the seismic risk is high, we have the burden of building
in Soviet times. The seismic building norms that applied across the
Soviet Union did not reflect geographic peculiarities of states. The
seismic risk was underestimated. Armenia was just a dot on the map for
the Communist Party leaders and they saw no reason for more expensive
construction. The costs of building resistant to magnitude 8 will
be 8-10% more compared with a building resistant to magnitude 8. The
costs of a building resistant to magnitude 9 would go up by 16-20%.
This was not in line with their goals so they went in for cheap
buildings resulting in the consequences of Spitak earthquake.
Therefore, now it is necessary to protect the existing buildings,
especially schools, hospitals and the buildings of government from
where the officials will rule.
Are they not competent enough to understand the problem or are they
avoiding expenses?
I would say both. We have competent bodies, the Ministry of
Emergencies, I am far from thinking that people here are not aware
of the importance of the issue but awareness is not enough, it is
necessary to act. In fact, big sums are requires to resolve the
issue but we are not saying that we need to begin the process of
reinforcing buildings at once. We say let's begin with buildings which
are usually crowded, such as schools, hospitals. For reasons which I
cannot understand we do not attach important to the issue. Now Yerevan
is such that 80% of buildings will collapse if an earthquake equal to
Spitak happens. It will take 300,000 lives, there will be an immense
number of people with disabilities and homeless people.
Recently the head architect of Yerevan Narek Sargsyan has stated that
the newly-built buildings are safe from earthquakes.
I immediately disagree. Corruption is flourishing in our country
which is a major concern, including for building. With such levels of
corruption I am not sure that building is compliant. Unfortunately,
design companies are growing like mushrooms and they design high-rise
buildings but the levels of these organizations are below the average
because it is very easy to get a license in Armenia. There is one thing
that reassures. The new seismic norms set down after the earthquake
in Spitak are more demanding than those of the Soviet Union. The only
hope is that having been designed in compliance with the new norms (if
they certainly do comply) these buildings will stand strong earthquakes
but it is not clear whether the designers follow the design strictly,
it is not clear to what degree the building complies with design. One
of the examples is the collapsed building.
There are buildings which already have cracks. However, I don't want
to attribute this to building in general. I hope that some building
companies, and we have several professional companies, do their job
propery but the other greater part are not professionals, they do not
have a qualified personnel. 70% of builders do not have a relevant
education and training and neither do their managers. This is the
consequence of corruption. To say that new buildings are reliable is
a superficial approach.
I am far from the thought that the authorities want bad-quality
construction but the government does not create preconditions
which will indicate that it is built well. Licensing must be rigid,
whereas there are a lot of inspection companies which can accept
money and issue a license for construction. This is something that
can be regulated.
Mr. Melkumyan, are stone buildings safer than panel buildings? In the
real estate market stone buildings are more expensive due to their
seismic stability.
There is a wrong perception that stone buildings have more seismic
stability. It is totally wrong because stone buildings are vulnerable
of all. They think if the walls are thick, the stone buildings
are more comfortable to live, this is absurd in terms of seismic
stability. Buildings built of large panels are more or less reliable.
I can state for sure that we do not have reliable buildings built
during the Soviet Union. If there is a specialist who will insist on
the opposite, I am ready to argue. A building designed for magnitude
7 cannot be reliable because we expect earthquakes magnitude 9 under
the RA seismic norms.
On experts learned lessons from the earthquake of Spitak, they are
few, we are not a nation that learns lessons from history. Spitak
and Gyumree were ruined because buildings were built to match
underestimated seismic risks while the seismic impact on the buildings
was 4 times stronger than they could resist. At that time the Communist
Party launched a campaign that the Armenians did not ensure quality
of building which was not the main reason of collapse of the buildings.
I have devoted my scientific activities to the issue of seismic
protection of the existing buildings and since 93-94 I have been
working on new technologies. I developed new technologies based on
the idea of seismic isolation which enables effective protection of
buildings and prevention of their collapse during earthquakes. We can
gradually cut the building foundations and place base isolators. The
base isolators are rubber and metal units which are produced here in
Armenia ensuring their high quality and we test those units. We are a
world leader because we have been able to cut the base of one block
of apartments and one school and place them on isolators without
evacuating the residents. They immediately turn a weak building
earthquake safe. I use this technology in new buildings. We have
already 37 such buildings.
Recently I have set up the Save Yerevan Schools from Earthquakes
Foundation, I raise money all over the world, turn to my colleagues
in different countries who are already donating small sums.
Every year they repair roads. Is it so urgent in a country with
danger of earthquakes or is it a matter of corruption? The government
officials must understand that we are living on a "volcano"?