Antara News, Thursday, September 3, 2009 22:49 WIB
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta city`s construction order and supervision agency (P2B) has called for checks on all high-rise buildings in the capital following a powerful quake that happened off the West Java coast on Wednesday.
"We have issued an order for owners to conduct checks and observations on the construction and structure of their buildings," P2B head Hari Sasongko said here on Thursday.
The magnitude 7.3 quake also rocked Jakarta causing cracks on several high-rise buildings in the city.
"Some managements have contacted us and reported the condition of their buildings. No construction failure had happened. Damage mostly were fractured windows or ceramic tiles. No structural failures," he said.
Although checkings were made he believed around 700 high-rise buildings in the city remained safe as they had all met building requirements. One of the requirements is that construction must be able to withstand 10 to 20 percent of shocks.
The honorary chief of the Indonesian Association of Architects (IAI), Budi A Sukada, confirmed Hari`s statement saying construction of buildings in Jakarta could stand up to magnitude 7.0 quakes. The buildings had also been designed for use for 50 years.
"Permits are needed before building could be constructed. Meanwhile a routine check is also done every year on the constrution and infrastructure of high-rise buildings," he said.
Regarding the cracks and broken windows found in several buildings after the quake Budi said that they were still tolerable and were not menacing safety.
More than 50 people were reported to have been killed so far following the quake on Wednesday that affected mostly coastal regions.
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