Quake buildings can be used

By Cai Wenjun  |   2008-7-11  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

ABOUT 70 to 80 percent of urban buildings in quake-hit regions in Sichuan Province can be used after reinforcement and repair instead of overall reconstruction, members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in Shanghai told a forum yesterday.

Officials from Shanghai's construction commissions and construction companies took part in the forum on after-quake construction issues.

Experts also suggested the national authority carry out large-scale inspection and anti-quake evaluation on public facilities such as schools, hospitals and stadiums.

"Apart from the most devastated regions like Yingxiu and Beichuan, the majority of urban buildings in Sichuan survived the earthquake and can be used after professional evaluation and reinforcement," said Gu Xianglin from Tongji University.

Experts said all new building in Sichuan should be closely monitored to ensure quality and prevent corruption. They also said public facilities such as schools and stadiums in all key earthquake prevention cities including Shanghai should be checked for their anti-quake capabilities.