CODIA says a majority of apartment towers in DR are not seismic proofed

SANTO DOMINGO. The last movements of the tectonic plates-earthquakes-which were registered in the national territory continue to awaken the interest, both national as well as international, in analyzing the conditions in the country with regard to resisting a large-scale earthquake.

With this in mind, Japanese experts will meet today with local architects in order to talk about the anti-seismic code in Japan, as well as the innovative practices that architecture is using in the present situation on the national construction level.

The panel comes about at a time in which the country argues about the resistance that the building might have, specifically the large apartment towers, in a seismic event of a large magnitude. And the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (Codia), for the most part, says that these buildings do not comply with the anti-seismic codes. Nonetheless, many professionals in the construction industry defend the ability of the new structures that are going up, and many of these towers have even publicized and made reference to their anti-seismic structures.

Recently the sector brought out a new set of regulations for seismic analysis and design, worked out by the Ministry of Public Works, the Seismology and Seismological Engineers Society and several entities that are related to the construction sector.

The meeting, which is set for 10:30 this morning, in the auditorium of the Ibero-American University (UNIBE), Akihisha Hirata, Peter Boronsky, Shizuka Yoshida, Suichiro Yoshida, Sachi Hoshikawa, Vencian VBen and Bichara Khoury will take part.

The event is being organized by the UNIBE School of Architecture and the Dominican Republic Society of Architects (SARD).