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While in Pakistan during early November to work on this program, I visited the remote and almost totally
destroyed village of Balakot. I went with Sikander Ajam Khan, an architect who had driven up to the
earthquake area immediately after learning about the destruction there in order to distribute food and
clothing. It is hard to summarize our day-long, non-stop conversation. Even just hearing of what he saw
during the days immediately following the earthquake, and not actually experiencing it in person,
was shocking. For example, he told me of watching people using wheelbarrows to take their injured relatives,
who had been extracted from the ruins (some with crushed or even amputated legs), to a doctor. Today's
Balakot, a year after the earthquake, looks like it had been bombed. Most of the original buildings are
gone, replaced by lean-to shacks of corrugated iron. I asked many people about how much ground acceleration
they experienced during the earthquake, and several told me that things (including themselves) flew into
the air at the time of the earthquake. My initial response, on learning and seeing the extent of the damage,
was one of despair: I couldn't see how any construction methods we might recommend could stand up against
this level of shaking.
However, soon, we found evidence that some structures
in downtown Balakot did survive the earthquake. One was a home on a hill; all the other homes on
this hill, on the edge of the hanging wall of the fault, collapsed. The one home that remains is
damaged beyond repair, but it remains standing (see photo at left). We inspected the joints that
were exposed and found them to be compliant with normal practice (e.g., overlap of rebar). The
other impressive surviving structure is a two-story market. It has no visible damage. Because
there was no cracking, we could not inspect the quality of the concrete or joints. It is a regular
shaped building with nice flanges wherever beams met columns. In general, it just seemed like a
well built, well designed and well maintained structure.
There was more good news evident in how new houses were being rebuilt in the outskirts of
Balakot. We stopped and asked the owners of some of these new homes about their design, which
had been provided by the Pakistani government. Based on our random sampling, these designs are
better than what was used in the past; they include specification for rebar detailing. Further,
it seems that these designs are being carefully followed, voluntarily. I asked one owner how much
more expensive construction following this new design is over what it would have cost using the
former practice: about 30%. I asked him why he was willing to do this, and was told that his old
house had collapsed during the earthquake. Fortunately, he and his family were able to escape from
the house before it collapsed. I left the town heartened: it is clear that well constructed buildings
can survive even extremely strong ground shaking, and it is clear that, as a result of this earthquake,
some Pakistanis want to and know how to build earthquake-resistant homes.
2007 Membership Campaign
This past year has brought change and loss, but also new beginnings, resources and lessons to GHI.
The continued support of our members and friends is, as always, vital. We look forward to moving
into a newly seismically retrofitted office early next year and we hope that many of you will attend
the opening celebration that we will announce soon. I hope that you will join or renew your association
with us by returning the enclosed membership form with your donation to help us work together to reduce
the risk of disasters from natural hazards in the most threatened and needy regions. I thank you for
your support of our work, and wish you and your families a peaceful and safe holiday season.
Sincerely,
Brian Tucker, President
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