Posted on 24 Sep 2018
A structural engineer pointed out the importance of the quality and integrity of the steel bars used in high-rise buildings in the Philippines.
Emilio Morales, former chair of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, in a recent Senate hearing of the committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship chaired by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, warned that in the absence of standards, high-rise buildings would be vulnerable to quakes.
Morales, a top lecturer in the country’s engineering schools, reacted to a previous statement that the country could use grade 40 steel bars, instead of grade 60. “That is a criminal offense, because there will be a catastrophic failure of strength in multi-story and high-rise buildings when a major earthquake occurs,” he said.
Morales has been lobbying for transparency in terms of the production of steel bars and discussed the dangers of using QT bars in a paper titled ‘The Clear and Present Danger - The Use of QT or TMT Rebars in Seismic Zone 4.”
Morales said that studies in Italy, Australia and New Zealand concluded that quench tempered steel bars are not for high rise buildings, and that these have been banned in other countries, such as Canada, Taiwan and Japan.
The Senate held public hearings on the proposed Senate Resolution 802 filed by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito and Resolution 412 by Senator Panfilo Lacson which aim to implement measures to stop the proliferation of substandard steel bars.
