CHARLESTOWN (September 09, 2016) -- “The structural design plays a major role in the safety of the buildings. All of the countries have building codes and if the builders were to follow these codes a lot of our buildings will be much safer in natural disasters” says Contractor and Builder, Mr. Eustace Hunkins. The statement was made in an interview conducted by Lorna Smithen- Bussue on the importance of structural designs in minimizing the effects of natural disasters. The meeting was held in his workshop at Government Road on September 08, 2016.
Staggering fatality rates have been reported following major earthquake disasters in developing and developed countries. Irrespective of location, “The buildings are built in such a way to withstand a certain amount of force but we do not have control over the ‘force’, the force will come and then the structure will stand up or it won’t” says Mr. Hunkins.
Notwithstanding the prediction of specialists in Seismology of a serious earthquake hazard in St. Kitts and Nevis, there is the constant threat of hurricanes compounded by the influence of salty air from the sea. These factors have fueled the need for citizens to be fully aware of the importance of protecting the built environment of the nation.
Building experts agree that if buildings are constructed according to the standards of the Building Codes, then occupants will be ensured a minimum level of safety and psychologists suggest that a home improves a person’s quality of life and ensures the will to live. The idea is embodied in the role of the building regulatory system, of ensuring quality of the built environment.
Mr. Hunkins attempts to analyze the existing building conditions as it relates to the building regulations of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Evidence has revealed that from the 1960’s, there has been a movement away from indigenous architecture which was generally felt to resist the elements more, to newer methods. The changes have been seen particularly in roofing, where innovations in anchoring the rafters have resulted in roof sheeting along with rafters being lifted off during storms.
These changes in designs and structures can be attributed to globalization, technology, economic and social developments.
However, disadvantages of these newer methods of roofing have led to reappraisal of some of these designs.
“There are so many different types of anchors that they have made, that we should not make the same mistakes” said Mr. Hunkins. He continued “They not only sell the anchors, they also show you how to use them. The anchors should have a certain number of nails, a certain number of nails in the rafters and a certain number of nails in the plates. What happens is that sometimes we leave out a lot of nails. The men want to come off the roof, so they go up there and put in some and don’t put in the others. All sort of nonsense happen in the trade but we just have to keep at people and make them do what is right.”
Organizations, supervisors and managers foresee the need to ensure that the work force complies with existing laws and regulations put in place to safeguard the environment, the community and the safety of citizens.
In this context, Mr. Hunkins, in his discussion about the implementation of structural designs said “We have certain methods that we use which have proven to stand up over the years. Galvanize to put on the roof come in different gauges. The lightest ones will be the cheapest ones. So some of those lighter ones will not be recommended for us. We need the heavier types, which cost a little more but then you might save your house during a storm.”
He also pointed out the importance of other structural designs such as shutters, columns and stirrups for improving building resiliency.
“We get fancy with our windows and we forget to put on shutters. But the shutters protect the glass.” He also indicated that structural damages due to earthquakes may be minimized if “Columns were closer, they would be able to hold the building much better than if they are further apart.”
He also said that many buildings develop cracks during earthquakes due to inefficiency in tying stirrups and putting steel inside of them. “The concrete will crack more easily because the stirrups are too far from each other and needed to be brought closer.”
Mr. Hunkins in support of the building regulations said inspectors would have seen both the architectural drawings and recommendations but inferred that enforcement is generally the weakest part of a regulatory system
“If they come when you already put the concrete on the beam then they have nobody to blame but themselves,” he said
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