SEGAMAT: A series of minor tremors in Johor over the past eight days has prompted experts to propose a comprehensive approach to monitor and analyse the structures of buildings such as government offices, bridges and houses.
Senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Civil Engineering Faculty, Dr Mohd Zamri Ramli, said that although the tremors were categorised as weak, the cumulative effect of repeated earthquakes could cause progressive cracks in building structures.
ALSO READ: Geologists to conduct deeper study on ground cracks in Segamat
"The first earthquake may not have a major impact, but if several aftershocks occur, they can cause cracks to spread.
"This condition is known as progressive cracking,” he said after conducting a site survey recently with a group of researchers following minor tremors here.
He also suggested public education efforts on how to identify and monitor cracks in houses so that communities are better prepared and more aware of early signs of structural damage.
ALSO READ: Segamat quakes: JKR confirms roads, bridges safe for use
"This is important to ensure the safety of residents, especially if stronger tremors occur in the future,” he said.
A senior lecturer from the same faculty, Associate Prof Dr Mariyana Aida Ab Kadir, said that although most of the reported damage involved only surface areas, such as plaster and external finishes, and not main structures like columns, systematic monitoring should still be carried out.
Such monitoring should not only involve authorities such as the Public Works Department but is also encouraged among building owners, she added.
"Small cracks may seem harmless, but they can be an early indicator of structural weakness, especially in buildings not designed with proper engineering, such as village houses,” she said.
ALSO READ: DPM: Govt to continue monitoring tremors in Segamat
Recently, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan was quoted as saying that the earthquakes recorded in Segamat since Aug 24 had so far only caused minor cracks in five government buildings in the district.
Five tremors were recorded in Segamat, beginning with the first at 6.13am on Aug 24 with a magnitude of 4.1, followed by one at 8.59am on Wednesday (Aug 27, 3.2), 7.56pm on Thursday (Aug 28, 2.5), 4.24am on Friday (Aug 29, 3.4) and 7.29am on Saturday (Aug 30, 2.7).
In addition, a tremor with a magnitude of 2.8 was recorded in Yong Peng, 28km north-west of Kluang, on Aug 24. – Bernama
