GEORGE TOWN: Residential and commercial buildings in Penang can withstand tremors measuring up to 4.0 on the Richter scale, according to the Penang Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda).
Its chairman Datuk Khoo Teck Chong said with Penang not situated in a quake-prone zone, there were no specific government requirements for buildings to be earthquake-proof.
He said the state was only susceptible to aftershocks and faced no direct threat of earthquakes, with occasional tremors from quakes in Sumatra and most recently, Myanmar.
“As such, there are no mandatory earthquake-resistant building codes in Penang.
“However, most buildings follow the British standard design, which includes embedded safety features that can withstand tremors of up to magnitude 4.0 (on the Richter scale),” he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow recently stated that Penang was not affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28.
He added that major structures in the state, such as the Komtar building and bridges, were designed to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude seven.
Institute of Engineers (IEM) Penang branch chairman Dr Lee Choo Yong said most of the buildings follow the stipulated uniform bylaws which could stand certain seismic shocks and vibrations from earthquakes.
“The relevant safety requirements are incorporated in most of the buildings and no additional requirements are needed, but IEM is open to discussions with the local authorities if there is a need to review them.
“During a briefing on the features of the second Penang Bridge, I found that the bridge has high damping rubber bearings (HDRBS) for seismic isolation and seismic expansion joints to allow movements during earthquakes.
“The seismic expansion joints allow movement during seismic activity, preventing damage to the bridge structure.
“However, there is no mandatory requirements for buildings to be earthquake proof, as past experiences had shown that we could withstand the seismic shocks from earthquakes which occurred in our neighbouring countries,” added Lee.
It is common for buildings in seismic zones to incorporate features such as reinforced concrete frames, shear walls, ductile detailing, bracing systems and base isolation.
These are to absorb and dissipate seismic forces and minimise structural damage.
