SANTO DOMINGO- The Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) and the College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (CODIA) recommended the demolition of the buildings that were affected by the fire that occurred in San Cristóbal on August 14th.
After evaluating 83 structures in an area of six blocks near the epicenter where the events occurred, Onesvie advised demolishing three commercial buildings: Tienda Toledo, Agro Veterinaria La Esperanza and the green building where a Banco de Reservas Management Office operated, all located on Padre Ayala Street.
Meanwhile, Cristian Rojas, former president of CODIA, believes that the buildings that were subjected to high temperatures from the fire should be demolished, and some should undergo a vulnerability study to determine the percentage of damage they have.
“Evaluate whether the investment in the recovery is greater than the construction of a new building,” Rojas said.
Demolition proposals
In the case of the Toledo store, Onesvie notes that the building is in a highly vulnerable state and cannot remain standing for its remaining lifespan. “This conclusion is based on the prolonged period of exposure to high temperatures, reaching approximately 700°C for more than 20 hours. We recommend that this building be demolished.”
Regarding Agro Veterinaria La Esperanza, Onesvie explains that at the time of the visit, the building was already in a state of partial collapse and quite unstable, as the remains were supported by a completely cracked masonry wall. The building is classified as having restricted use and its demolition is recommended as it appears to be beyond repair.
Regarding the green building at the corner of Padre Ayala and Francisco J. Peynado streets, the report states that it does not recommend continuing to use this building for residential purposes. “The building is classified as having restricted use.”.
The entity adds that during the survey for its report, it was able to clearly see that the greatest signs of damage, both structural and non-structural, were concentrated in a specific area made up of six squares, between Jesús de Galíndez, General Cabral, Palo Hincado streets and Constitución Avenue.
Onesvie argues in its report that "the engineers on the assessment team found that the streets that delimit the polygon are marked by signs of non-structural damage, which supports the decision not to carry out assessments beyond this polygon, understanding that this would be the area of greatest impact.".
Of the 83 structures evaluated by Onesvie, 6% of the homes received structural damage, that is, 5 out of 83; 27% of the housing buildings did not have structural damage, equivalent to 22 out of 83 evaluated; and 67% of the buildings did not suffer damage to their structures, that is, 56 out of 83.
Of those, 88% were classified as habitable, that is, 73 out of 83 buildings, 06% were classified as limited use, equivalent to 5 out of 83, and the other 6% as restricted use, that is, 5 out of 83 buildings.
The evaluation team consisted of engineers José Cordero, Marcos Paniagua, Remy Luciano, Claudia Duveaux, and Ury Rodríguez, as well as technicians Henry Beltrán, Raúl Sosa, and Héctor Cedeño. The report was reviewed by Leonardo Reyes Madera, Director General of Onesvie, along with Pedro Iván Márquez and José Cordero.
