The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Focus on disaster-resistant buildings'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Focus on disaster-resistant buildings'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JAN.30. The tendency of customers to get carried away by the external appearances of buildings while purchasing property provides space for the developer to pay less attention to issues pertaining to the stability of the structure.

Buyers must instead ensure that the builder initiated measures to make the building structurally strong and withstand the impact of natural disasters, A.R. Shantakumar, Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, said today.

Addressing the `Realty Speak' seminar at `Living Spaces 2005,' the property fair organised here by The Hindu Property Plus in association with Ramco Industries Limited, he said the customers should pay greater attention to technical specifications.

Dr. Shantakumar, former Dean, Civil Engineering, Anna University, said though non-destructive testing devices were available to investigate the causes of cracks on walls, prevention was better than cure. This could be achieved through customer awareness, mandatory certification of structural stability by statutory agencies and use of suitable materials.

The vulnerability of concrete structures was more in coastal cities such as Chennai. The major problem in the locations was corrosion in the reinforced structures. Some of the hazards were `creeping,' others sudden and all of them could be addressed by adhering to quality work and paying attention to details such as the right mix of water and cement.

Adding water more than the desired level — 40 per cent of the weight of the cement — was harmful to the structure, as the excess water tended to evaporate resulting in micro-pores in the concrete that absorbed moisture. "By changing the quantity of water, you change the durability of the structure," Dr. Shantakumar explained, recommending the use of fly ash-mixed cement, corrosion-resistant steel and structural hollow bricks.

Some of the damage to the parts of the structures occurred suddenly and most of them such as cracks on column walls were not easy to repair. Hence, it was essential that the customers sought information on the technical specifications from the builders.

The fair, on the YMCA Grounds at Royapettah, received an overwhelming response, with several thousand visitors thronging the stalls from the morning. The stream of people seeking information from experts on architecture, landscaping, taxation, interior design and property laws and from officials of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority at the `Forum' stalls was continuous. The fair will remain open on Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Realty Speak seminar at `Living Spaces 2005' on Monday: `Recent trends in real estate industry in India,' YMCA Grounds, Royapettah, 4 p.m.

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