[Fuerfsanv]

Can some of the construction gurus weigh in on this pressing topic? Are there things to look for in advance in terms of proper reinforcement, support etc. How to spot potential "stress" or "weak" areas in the structure...

[Wheldcobchoto]

yes. don't live in an apartment building with parking below it. during a quake the building can shear, which means rock side to side, causing the building to collapse on the parking structure.

unfortunately there are a lot of torres here like this.

[errolespopume]

When my wife built her school everyone told her she was wasting money with all that extra rebar. The whole town will fall down and her school will still be standing.

[poekfpojoibien]

Generally I see enough rebar being used. In general newer concrete (CBS concrete pillar & beams reinforced, concrete roof homes) could be quite solidly built. Given the magnitude of the POP 09-2003 quake, the damage was relatively low.

• HOWEVER, when building, you will find the plumber using space supposedly assigned for pillars to organize his pipes up and down... reason; the engineers say they are NOT plumbers... JUST engineers... well, BAD engineers, homes DO COME with pipes after all. So, you may have some "supporting" pillars filled with... plastic pipes, some rebar and a little concrete.
• I have seen builders use beach sand! It contains SALT which will kill the rebar in a few years and produce a substandard concrete!
• Humidity problems (usually from the ground as builders and even engineers absolutely REFUSE to recognize the need of proper humidity barriers) will rot cinder blocks and eventually even poured concrete.
• Gas lines running THRU the walls are a further risk. In Spain (which has limited seismic activity) gas lines have by CODE to be run ALONG the EXTERIOR of walls, so, if they break, it can be seen and the gas is most likely to escape to the outside. Not the case here. Movement in the walls can sheer of pipes and the problem can appear only hours or even days later.

These are just some of the major points to keep in mind.

... J-D.

[CaseyFan]

There was an extensive study done after the 2003 earthquake and I wish I could find it now. It explained why some buildings had more damage than others.

- Maryanne

[himecthekWiff]

Just being logical, if your house is more than 7 years old then its already withstood a couple quakes.

Yesterdays, and the one from 2003.

[Aeaefee]

Listen, man, nothing here can withstand an earthquake. Nothing. Especially not a 7.3. Who cares about rebar if the ground moves? Remember liquefaction. Multistory houses will fall because of gravity and the concrete will pulverize. Rebar will keep the pillars in place but what about the roof?
The real problem is there are no uniform building codes for such an event. The buildings now are Miami hurricane engineered(all concrete and cinder block). Not San Francisco or Tokyo engineered.
And dont forget one more important factor, who is building the house? If you use the cheapeast labor, the cheapest materials and the cheapest decorator what would you expect?

[poekfpojoibien]

Listen, man, nothing here can withstand an earthquake. Nothing. Especially not a 7.3. Who cares about rebar if the ground moves? Remember liquefaction. Multistory houses will fall because of gravity and the concrete will pulverize. Rebar will keep the pillars in place but what about the roof?
The real problem is there are no uniform building codes for such an event. The buildings now are Miami hurricane engineered(all concrete and cinder block). Not San Francisco or Tokyo engineered.
And dont forget one more important factor, who is building the house? If you use the cheapeast labor, the cheapest materials and the cheapest decorator what would you expect?

The DR had a tradition of building CBS homes long before it gradually became code in Dade, Broward and then Palm Beach county subsequently.
Actually, the "real" homes built here are structurally far superior to SE Floridian homes as "we" here use footer foundations (vs. just a slab in many comparable single family home SE FL applications), "we" have a framework of poured concrete pillars and beam girts, solid supporting inner walls and a poured concrete roof. It's simple not comparable and neither are the issues or adverse elements except for storms and flooding.
Believe it or not, THERE ARE building codes in place here and to my own surprise, I may say that in general they are being followed... not to the letter but to the principle. Just check the building technology being taught to aspiring architects and civil engineers at local universities.
But yes, you are obviously right, there is nothing which will withstand an earthquake to no limit, even if one has an expensive decorator .


... J-D.

[tobia]

Listen, man, nothing here can withstand an earthquake. Nothing.

RacerX, all our home in PP had in the 2003 quake of 6.5 magnitude was plaster cracks & a few garden ceramic tiles cracked, nothing structural. Many homes survived the 2003 quake just fine. Not sure how a 7.0 would impact but if you have sufficient steel bars I wouldn't expect total destruction. Admittedly the 2003 quake epicentre wasn't as shallow as yesterday's - the shallower the more likely structural damage.

[bgsavings]

I agree to J D, building structures [excluding anything built by the government or "cheap" engineer's who just cut corners to fill their pockets} are way superior to states code

[Svatudjw]

Just being logical, if your house is more than 7 years old then its already withstood a couple quakes.

Yesterdays, and the one from 2003.

Yes.... BUT I lived in this big complex just outside Sosua when this happened. Completely weird experience, the building was dancing. Next day u could see that it was cracked from top to bottom, u could see the reinforcing iron, and it looked like it was bent. Next day they came and "fixed it" with putty and white paint.

[Unlopssesuj]

DR houses seem to be built solidly although not us much as buildings in poland with foundations about 2 meters deep (we have basements). however, i do not think that an individual in DR can use technologies that will make his house earthquake proof - due to expense and lack of availability. when tremor is very strong (say, 8.0 or more) you can only pray.

[Svatudjw]

DR houses seem to be built solidly although not us much as buildings in poland with foundations about 2 meters deep (we have basements). however, i do not think that an individual in DR can use technologies that will make his house earthquake proof - due to expense and lack of availability. when tremor is very strong (say, 8.0 or more) you can only pray.

Built solidly?!? Well I guess it is relative. My friend, an experienced builder, was shocked when he saw the building process here (especially concerning the concrete). And these are now shiny new white houses and apartment buildings that sells for big dollars

[Gosxjqum]

In 2003 my birthday was ruined by the quake...however. our 40 year old house and its newer additions were fine. Just a minor crack in one wall on an addition.
In fact none of the homes here inthe Jardines were affected.

That said, for goodness sake remember that a 7 is 10 times stronger than a 6...TEN times.

We just do not know.

One important note: While I have preached to my wife the need to get out of bed and lay on the ground NEXT to the bed (the "triangle of life") She did NOT do that. Whether out of fear or whatever, and was therefore exposing herself to a collapsing roof scenario should it have happened.

First rule of earthquakes is to get down next to a chair, table, anything strong...
I even have water bottles on the floor, next to the bed. JIC!!

I think that a lot of awareness will come out of this and persons will take greater pains with their constructions...some won't...

However, as someone pointed out, if a 8.0 or a 7.5 hits this part, all you can do is pray.

HB

[CaseyFan]

HB,

To defend your wife.....
I was lying in bed too when the earthquake happened and I did not have the strength to get out of the bed. It felt like the room was spinning....literally. I was hanging onto the edge of the bed, trying not to fall off.

Costambar did not suffer too much damage and the building we were staying in was solid. Only the pool ending up having a crack in it. However, the building is built into a rock. :-)

In POP, there was more damage but there is also poor construction. How can anyone expect a terrace to not crumble when it is built as an overhang to a building with no proper support? Many people used less cinder blocks to save on the construction costs (just made the gaps a little larger and filled them with cement) or people didn't use steel rods to reinforce their structures. And let's not forget that much of POP is lower than the ocean and anything lower than the ocean level will have more damage.

I don't even want to think of another earthquake, let alone one that is greater than the one in 2003.

[Svatudjw]

In 2003 my birthday was ruined by the quake...however. our 40 year old house and its newer additions were fine. Just a minor crack in one wall on an addition.
In fact none of the homes here inthe Jardines were affected.

That said, for goodness sake remember that a 7 is 10 times stronger than a 6...TEN times.

We just do not know.

One important note: While I have preached to my wife the need to get out of bed and lay on the ground NEXT to the bed (the "triangle of life") She did NOT do that. Whether out of fear or whatever, and was therefore exposing herself to a collapsing roof scenario should it have happened.

First rule of earthquakes is to get down next to a chair, table, anything strong...
I even have water bottles on the floor, next to the bed. JIC!!

I think that a lot of awareness will come out of this and persons will take greater pains with their constructions...some won't...

However, as someone pointed out, if a 8.0 or a 7.5 hits this part, all you can do is pray.

HB

Well I think our was 6.5 but then the center was in the mountains 50k from where Sosua/Cabarete. I am no specialist, but this one in Haiti was very shallow also... I can just imagine. AND ours were 1 AM in the morning... One big school in Puerto Plata for instance collapsed... but no one was there. We were very lucky. Well then the Nagua 8.0 one... but I doubt anyone of us here in this forum were here then... 160 000 died

[endulundaSauh]

Well I think our was 6.5 but then the center was in the mountains 50k from where Sosua/Cabarete. I am no specialist, but this one in Haiti was very shallow also... I can just imagine. AND ours were 1 AM in the morning... One big school in Puerto Plata for instance collapsed... but no one was there. We were very lucky. Well then the Nagua 8.0 one... but I doubt anyone of us here in this forum were here then... 160 000 died

More death came from the tsunami afterwards. Remember most of Nagua is below sea level.

[Unlopssesuj]

Built solidly?!? Well I guess it is relative. My friend, an experienced builder, was shocked when he saw the building process here (especially concerning the concrete). And these are now shiny new white houses and apartment buildings that sells for big dollars

i have never been to america to forgive me my ignorance but i always thought many houses, especially in suburbs, are built with wood or whatnot and not with concrete blocks and cement?

[Unlopssesuj]

Well I think our was 6.5 but then the center was in the mountains 50k from where Sosua/Cabarete. I am no specialist, but this one in Haiti was very shallow also... I can just imagine. AND ours were 1 AM in the morning... One big school in Puerto Plata for instance collapsed... but no one was there. We were very lucky. Well then the Nagua 8.0 one... but I doubt anyone of us here in this forum were here then... 160 000 died

"Tsunami associated with the quake killed 1600-1800 people, for a total of about 2550 fatalities.
from wikipedia

[BinasiDombrs]

A good engineer and architect should be able to design some quake resistant features into a home. Many buildings in places like SF and Tokyo are designed to move with the earth and not be totally stiff. Where's Chip when you need him to expound on this very topic.