The problem of aging buildings in Cyprus is coming to the fore today, becoming one of the most serious challenges for the island state.
Platonas Stylianou, First Vice-President of the Cyprus Chamber of Civil Engineers (ETEK) and acting Head of the European Council of Civil Engineers, gave such an alarming assessment of the situation in his recent address. He stressed that the devastating tremors that have recently rocked Venezuela serve as a harsh reminder for all countries located in seismically active areas. The tragedy in this South American country clearly demonstrates that colossal human casualties are most often associated not so much with the force of the natural elements as with the vulnerability and deterioration of the structures themselves.
In the context of protecting Cypriot buildings from earthquakes, the expert identified three time periods that differ dramatically in terms of reliability. The facilities, which were built after 2012, provide the highest degree of seismic protection due to the introduction of the latest Eurocodes. These building codes have become mandatory in the island state due to legislative changes, and they set an extremely high standard for safety. As for the buildings that appeared between 1994 and 2011, their behavior during underground impacts is significantly better than that of older buildings, but they are still inferior to modern standards. At the same time, the huge layer of buildings that was built before 1994 is of particular concern — this fund requires the closest attention, because it was created without taking into account modern antiseismic regulations.
Stylianou noted that Cyprus has historically been located in the Eastern Mediterranean area, where seismic activity is constantly felt.
The level of danger on the island is estimated as medium or even significant, although powerful disasters occur here infrequently — the last serious incident occurred in 1996. However, history remembers more severe events, so you can not relax. That is why the correct implementation of building regulations, regular maintenance of structures and periodic professional inspections are critically important for the safety of property and people’s lives. The engineer explained that the design today is carried out strictly according to Eurocodes, which guarantee exceptional quality of new buildings, especially taking into account mandatory technical supervision at all stages of construction.
Nevertheless, Stylianu made an important clarification: even the most perfect regulations cannot serve as an absolute guarantee against earthquake damage. All structures are initially designed for a certain level of vibration, laid down in the Eurocodes, and the priority here is always saving human lives and preventing collapse. If the actual force of the underground impacts exceeds the calculated values, even a perfectly designed building may suffer damage. But this does not at all indicate the shortcomings of the project — it’s just that the action of the elements turned out to be more powerful than the loads that were the basis of the calculation. As the specialist explained, it would be economically impractical and simply unwise to design absolutely all buildings for a hypothetical ten-point shock, since there are specific parameters of the calculated seismic load based on the maximum acceleration of the ground in a particular area.
Returning to the main problem of Cyprus, the ETEK Vice President emphasized that the aging of the construction fund is an existential challenge for the whole country. The passage of time, metal corrosion, aggressive exposure to salty sea air, especially in coastal cities, as well as illiterate redevelopment and lack of proper maintenance can catastrophically weaken any structures, regardless of their age. In this regard, the Chamber of Civil Engineers insists on the urgent development and adoption of a national strategy that would include scheduled inspections, a comprehensive assessment of the condition and systematic repairs of all structures on the island. First of all, according to experts, inspections should concern public facilities: schools, hospitals, residential high-rise buildings and other buildings with a large crowd of people, as well as any buildings where there are a large number of visitors every day. Therefore, only competent prevention, scientifically based expertise, regular inspections and high-quality maintenance are the only sure and safe way for Cyprus to meet any future seismic tests.
A source: reporter.com.cy
https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/stareyushhij-zhiloj-fond-kipra-predstavlyaet
