Four Basic Practices of Building an Earthquake-Resistant Structure

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Architects in the Philippines memorized by heart the Presidential Decree no. 1096 and Republic Act no. 6541. As a typical homeowner or building owner, do you have any idea what these two are? PD 1096 is the “Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the National Building Code of the Philippines.” RA 6541 is the “National Building Code of the Philippines.” Why is it important for a homeowner to know these? PD 1096 and RA 6541 serve as guidelines for building an earthquake-resistant structure, may it be an ordinary house or multistory building.

The demand for structures that can withstand earthquakes is more serious than ever. Certain parts of the archipelago have been struck by powerful tremors recently like what happened on Wao, Lanao del sur and the Batangas swarm which suffered over 1,000 aftershocks. During the past month, according to Earthquake Track, the country experienced 54 earthquakes as of this date. However, there could be more when aftershocks are added up based on the list of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Similar to flooding, this could be the new normal but we shouldn’t be complacent and nonchalant about it. We’re not saying house or building owners should also memorize the two laws mentioned above just like what architects in the Philippines do. But knowing a thing or two on how to make a structure resistant to tremors would really be helpful. Here are the basics:

Use light and flexible materials for the roof, walls and partitions that can easily bend when side-to-side swaying occurs, The Economist suggests.
For a new house, consider not affixing the house to its foundation by applying a technique called base isolation or seismic isolation, a tip from Inside Science of American Institute of Physics.
An affordable method of setting up shock absorbers beneath a house is “tires filled with stones or sand and fastened between floor and foundation,” National Geographic says.
Choose a simple design like a “symmetrical, rectangular, box-type of house” because it is more stable, explained in an article in Rappler.

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And last but definitely the most important of all, hire only a licensed engineer or architect in the Philippines. We don’t need to search for a reference for this because it is a given fact that you should only trust you safety—your life—to only the experts.