SANTO DOMINGO.- In its preliminary diagnosis on the partial collapse of the building that houses the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (Codia), the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), made several recommendations to avoid possible major damage to the building of the organization.
The report's conclusions establish the existence of an imminent danger of collapse in the rest of the affected wall, the excavations for the construction of the foundations of the new adjacent building, as well as the undermining of the affected wall of the Codia headquarters, which are presumed to have influenced the partial collapse of the structure, a situation that must be verified through forensic engineering studies.
The experts' diagnosis indicates that no evidence of maintenance processes was seen on the building in general terms, showing that its technical condition has remained intact.
Recommendations
The analysis suggests demolishing the affected area due to the severe damage observed during the inspection and detailed in the report, as the recovery of the affected area is no longer viable in structural and functional terms.
The agency proposes limiting access to the affected area to unauthorized personnel, and protecting the damaged perimeter walls of the East wing with shoring to prevent their progressive collapse.
Also, protect the slabs adjacent to the building's collapse zone using shoring to help support the dead weight, and restrict the use of areas near the collapse zone of the main left-side hall.
The diagnosis advises Codia to carry out a stability assessment of the entire perimeter of the construction underway, to ensure that the same thing does not happen at any other point.
Finally, it warns that, if necessary, unstable sections of the slopes should be stabilized to prevent a similar incident in the future.
Assessment
A team of technicians, headed by the director of Onesvie, Leonardo Reyes Madera, presented the first report corresponding to the observations of the event and the immediate measures to be taken into account for the preservation of the remaining part of the building.
The report was delivered during an event at the Onesvie to the Codia directors, headed by Dolores Nuñez, president; Juan Villar Gonzalez, general secretary; Nelson Castillo, treasurer; and Rafael Nuñez, coordinator of the Eastern region.
Also present from Onesvie were engineers Juan Francisco Cordero and Claudia Deveaux, who were part of the evaluation team for that report.
It is recalled that immediately after the incident occurred last Friday night, Onesvie assumed its role, entrusting a commission in collaboration with the Emergency Operations Center (COE), composed of professionals from the structural, geotechnical and geomatics areas, who proceeded to survey the levels of damage observed in order to make those results known.
Text readjusted with information taken from the newspaper Hoy.
