BENGALURU: Engineers in Bengaluru debated over the changes required in the construction industry to make players more accountable in case of a building collapse. They unanimously supported the idea that dependency on engineering colleges for reviewing plan design should stop. More practicing engineers need to be involved, they opined. A talk on ‘Structural stability of buildings’ was held at the Institute of Engineers on Thursday.
“Most of the research is conducted around aeronautical engineering or beyond practical engineering which is needed on a day-to-day basis,” said structural engineer Radhesh P Shenoy. Recounting the major building collapses of the past, Shenoy said that the fault was pointed in the deviation of the drawings. Drawings were being approved without considering the structural designs, he added.
He further said that with the land prices skyrocketing in Bengaluru, the building footprint is extended to as close to the building property. “While buildings are close together, precautions like shoaring and vertical cuttings are not taken intoconsideration.”An S Kodandapani, senior architect and urban planner, said that earlier building structures used to have thicker walls and strong foundation, which prevented their collapse.