How the seismic resistance inspection of buildings is carried out in Tajikistan

This is the question we have been trying to clarify for the second month now. After the tragedy in Turkey, in Tajikistan they began to massively inspect residential and non-residential buildings. It is known that at first they studied only the documentation; now they are already checking the physical condition of the buildings.

On February 22 the Committee for Architecture and Construction of Tajikistan decided to check the earthquake resistance of new developments in Dushanbe, Khujand and Bokhtar. 

The first check (of the developers’ documentation) for earthquake resistance has not yet been completed. The Committee for Architecture and Construction promised «Asia-Plus» to give the first results right after the Navruz holiday, but they are not there. 

Meanwhile, a technical check (together with the Prosecutor General’s Office) of new developments has now started in parallel - this time they are checking the quality (strength) of the concrete using a sclerometer, and concrete samples are also being tested in laboratories. 

A sclerometer/hardness tester - a laser device for determining the strength of materials. 

The muzzle of the sclerometer is placed against a specific section of concrete, and it reads its grade. In Dushanbe the concrete grades in new developments must be M 200 (in no case lower) or M 300, depending on the scale of the construction structure. 

«The current technical check is needed in order to verify and make sure how much the developers’ documentation corresponds to reality», - they told «Asia-Plus» at the Committee.

Who checks and who grants permission for operation?

The special inspection commission includes: the deputy chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Construction (who is also the chairman of the commission), representatives of the Committee’s construction and integration-process department, the Committee’s Service for State Supervision of Architecture and Construction, the Institute of Geology and Seismology of the NAS; as well as employees of the SUE «Scientific Research Institute of Construction and Architecture», the SUE «Loihakash» and the department for non-departmental state expert review of urban-planning design documentation.

The approval or acceptance of construction properties (built at the expense of the country’s budget) is handled by the state commission, which includes, in particular, the Service for State Supervision of Architecture and Construction under the Committee for Architecture, and under it - the department for non-departmental state expert review of urban-planning design documentation and other agencies, depending on the purpose of the property being built. 

For example, if a school is being built, the state commission will also include representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science. If it is a private property (a residential building, an office), then a special working group is created, which includes the local executive authorities, designers, developers and clients. 

We have a question: so who will bear responsibility (besides the developer) for the shortcomings discovered at the properties during the current check? Will those who once accepted these buildings be held accountable?

After all, as we can see, those who are now checking the buildings for seismic safety are the same ones who once gave the conclusion permitting them to be operated.

And an even more interesting question: will this commission «see» these shortcomings at all, knowing that it itself once accepted these properties as fit?

Nevertheless, at the Committee for Architecture and Construction they told «Asia-Plus» that if it turns out that some errors were made during construction or the property does not meet the standards at all, then the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of the client, the designer, and the developer. 

About the responsibility of the inspecting bodies nothing was said here…

Builders complain of unjustified fines

The developers with whom the «Asia-Plus» journalist spoke asked that their names and the names of the companies not be given. Because the flip side of the inspections that have begun is – unjustified, large fines and… repeat inspections.

As the builders explained to the «Asia-Plus» correspondent, in Soviet times specialists in the field of construction were engaged in providing practical assistance. If shortcomings or errors in the design or construction were found, they gave advice and a deadline for correction. If the errors were not corrected, then (only after that) measures were taken.

«Now, however, they check only papers, and if they find even some insignificant, slightest error, they immediately draw up protocols and fine from 5 to 13 thousand somoni. They fine companies that are confident in the quality of their completed work, that are ready to pass any final tests and trials. Builders are now being tormented with pointless paper checks», - one of the developers told «Asia-Plus».

They explained some details of the work. 

When a project is drawn up, 5 sections (large albums-documents) are composed: 1) Architecture; 2) Structure; 3) Heating; 4) Electricity; 5) Water supply and communication (sewerage).  

During the project’s expert review, the architecture and structure sections are checked, into which designers most often make changes. And if, for example, the designer changed the data on the outdoor staircase in the architecture section and did not indicate this in the structure section, then after checking the already-built property, if the inspecting persons find this difference, the developer will be fined.

The builders with whom the «Asia-Plus» correspondent spoke complained that during the current check the commission points out precisely such shortcomings to them, but they have no relation to seismic safety. According to them, what is important is the internal structure of the structures (the strength core, crossbeam, foundation, piles and others), which are responsible for seismic safety, not the external structures (a passage staircase, an arch, windows, etc.). 

«It is impossible during the implementation of a project to make the external structure exactly as it is indicated on paper (in the project). But it is precisely for this that the inspecting persons now fine some developers», - says one of the specialists.

Another example.

A developer ordered a building project from the SUE «Loihakash» (a state company that provides services in the field of architecture, design and design).

The SUE may not indicate in the project some separate facade structure or component that does not affect the building’s seismic safety but at the same time improves, say, fire safety, passability, logistics, etc. At the same time, the developer has every right to build this part (component) outside the project and then indicate it in the documents for acceptance/handover.

So then. «At the start of the design, even before the implementation of the project, on the instruction of the design agency (SUE "Loihakash"), we did not indicate the outdoor staircases for entering the lower premises. This was not in the project, - the developer recounts. – But at our own discretion, for the purposes of fire safety and passability, we additionally built monolithic outdoor staircases. Then the inspecting persons came from the city department and forced us to pay a fine - 8 thousand somoni for "deliberate violation of construction requirements". We paid. The officials brought their equipment and dismantled the staircase».

Now, already after the earthquakes that occurred in Turkey and Tajikistan, the inspecting bodies of the Committee for Architecture and Construction (members of that very commission) are forcing this developer to pay yet another fine. Now for the fact that there is a demolished structure (that very outdoor staircase) at the property, while at the same time explaining to him that he had every right to leave it for the purposes of fire safety. He faces a fine of 25 thousand somoni from the commission...

Another case.

When the committee for architecture and construction grants permission to start construction, the term for which this document is valid is not established.

So then, according to one of the capital’s entrepreneurs, he received all the necessary permitting documents to start construction from the Committee for Architecture and Construction, but already after the completion of the project, people from the local city department came to him and did not recognize that permission.

«The local authorities did not recognize our documents, citing the fact that the document’s validity period had expired. Although the document does not note a term - valid until such-and-such a date, - it, it turns out, is given for one year, but we did not know about this, and for us the construction is already completed. Now they are fining us», - the builder laments.

«After the earthquakes, the inspecting persons want to be treated like some kind of sultans or padishahs. If one of the employees contradicts them in something, they begin to take revenge», - complains another employee of one construction company. 

Source: ASIA-Plus