SMART SOCHO: Is your home certified structurally safe?

The lack of safety awareness among buyers and rampant non-compliance to the National Building Code - 2005 by developers has put a big question mark on the structural efficiency of realty projects. 

The recent twin earthquakes in neighboring Nepal and their impact on different part of India including the Delhi and NCR belts are a rude wakeup call to the fact that the majority of buildings in the country are not strong enough to withstand a powerful earthquake with an epicenter within or close to the country. Quite clearly, building earthquake resistant buildings is the only long-term solution to safeguard our life and property from the wrath of nature’s fury.

According to industry experts, there are tried-and-tested construction methods to build buildings that can withstand the impact of strong quakes, depending on the seismic zone the project is located in. India’s National Building Code has set the guidelines for this by dividing the country into five key seismic zones. It defines areas falling under Zone V as the highest risk locations for quakes in the Richter 9 scale. Similarly quakes of a slightly lower intensity (between Richter 8-9) are most likely in regions falling under Zone IV.

While on paper all buildings plans have to be checked thoroughly by the relevant municipal and urban planning agencies, it’s an open secret that in a majority of cases the rules embodied in the National Building Code are not followed by developers in their zeal to finish the project putting to risk the lives and property of residents in the event of a earthquake hitting the region.

Its upto the buyers/residents investing/moving into such projects to ensure that the projects they have invested much of their trust and hard-earned money in, are built as per specified safety norms. One of the easiest and foolproof ways of doing so is to insist /verify that the said building/project has a structural safety certificate issued by the competent authority.

What is a Structural Safety certificate?
A structural safety certificate is a clearance from the city’s municipal / urban planning authority certifying that the project’s structural and plans and other technical details submitted for prior approval are in consonance with the stipulated safety guidelines and regulations from all natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and tsunamis, as defined under Part 6 of the National Building Code of India, 2005 which details the requirements for ensuring structural safety of projects.

In other words, the buildings are to be planned, designed and constructed under the relevant supervision to ensure a quality and safe construction as per the specific safety requirements of the project which depends on its location and the seismic zone it falls in.

The existing rules stipulate that the project will have to be designed by a competent team of architects, engineers and structural engineers. Post the design phase, professionals are mandated to certify that the building/project has been designed in accordance with the laid down safety features in the construction bye-laws of the said city or as enclosed in the National Building Code of India for all safety issues- structural safety, healthy safety, fire safety, public safety and life safety.

How to get a Structural Safety certificate:
The procedure to get the safety certificate begins with the relevant municipal/planning authorities doing a thorough check on whether the project and the builder has indeed complied with all the stated requirements, post which a building permit is then issued.

Thereafter a completion certificate can be issued by the developer post completion of the said project provided the construction has adhered to guidelines with regard to safety components and approved plans, design and other technical specifications. The project details and compliance verifications are then examined by the municipal authorities, who then issue the all-important occupation certificate to the developer post which buyers/investors can be given possession of their flats/apartments.

Experts opine that the entire project cycle from start to finish is the joint responsibility of both the developer and his team of qualified design and technical experts. This includes ensuring that the project satisfies all the stipulated safety safeguards as laid down in the national building code, in terms of its structural strength and design efficiency.

Unfortunately there continue to be some loopholes and laxity in adhering to the rules on the part of both the developer and the authorities. These need to be looked at and rectified to ensure the complete safety and durability of structures like homes, apartments, shopping malls, schools, cinema halls, hospitals and commercial space from natural calamities which strike without prior warning.

One can only hope that given the scale of destruction in Nepal caused by the twin earthquakes, urban planning authorities in India are jolted from their slumber and forced to enforce the law.
  
Tips to ensure the structural efficiency of your home/building:

• Buildings/structures must be designed and monitored from qualified, competent and experienced structural engineers.
• The complete planning and designing should be holistic and integrated as per the National Building Code of India 2005.
• The project’s utility services which are often concealed should be easily accessible for timely maintenance, repairs and upgrades.
• Chemical changes also occur in structures. Corrosion, decay are all chemical processes and could lead to loss of integrity of the building materials. Regular maintenance can prolong their life and serviceability.
• Cladding, internal walls and partitions, false ceilings, etc., that go to make a place habitable and functional must be isolated from seismic motion but at the same time be restrained from deforming beyond permissible limits.
• The cladding has to withstand the diurnal and seasonal changes, the beating from rainfall and hailstorms.
• The design and detailing of this requires as much care as that for the structural load bearing members.
• Much like us buildings also respond to the environment around them - they  breathe in and out - depending on the existing external and internal temperatures.