PHIVOLCS-JICA Launch House Safety Information Materials

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the Japan International Cooperation Agency – Japan Science and Technology Agency (JICA-JST) and the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) launched the How Safe is My House?: A 12-Point Questionnaire at 9am on Feb. 19, 2014 at the PHIVOLCS Auditorium, Quezon City.

The 12-point questionnaire serves as a guide that will be used to evaluate the integrity of one’s house and its susceptibility to strong earthquakes.

Prior to the formulation of the “How Safe is My House? Self-Check for Earthquake Safety of Concrete Hollow Block (CHB) Houses in the Philippines” questionnaire, a full-scale shaking table experiment on CHB masonry structures was performed in Japan to make a comparison between two types of CHB houses.

Subsequently, one model showcased a code-compliant CHB house (Model A) while the other represented the more common residential CHB house (Model B) in the Philippines.

Through this “House Self-check,” an initial result can be produced to verify whether one’s house was properly built and has followed appropriate construction procedures and recommended measures.

Representatives from Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Science and Technology Information Institute (STII), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and different local media also attended the said event.

Source: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology http://ift.tt/1e5NDGh