POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES THREATEN DUBROVINK: If the ground starts shaking, people will be in danger because of this problem

Dubrovnik and its surroundings are the most active seismic area in the whole of Croatia with the possible catastrophic earthquakes, up to 7.5 degrees on the Richter scale

After the devastating earthquakes that recently hit Italy, countries that are in its immediate vicinity are wondering what would happened to them when they get struck by earthquakes, and one of these countries is Croatia, and most concerned is Dubrovnik, because of personal experience.

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When a powerful earthquake strikes, as many as 70 percent of all housing units in Dubrovnik would find themselves to be in grave danger.

Iva Dasovic, a postdoctoral at the geophysical section of the Faculty of Sciences in Zagreb, said that in the future we can expect a strong earthquakes in a seismically most active Croatian regions, such as Dubrovnik, Rijeka and Zagreb area.

- The question is not whether it will happen, but when it will happen. Unfortunately we can not predict earthquakes, but according to everything we know about earthquakes, how they arise and when they occurred, we can say that there is a high probability that we should expect a strong earthquake in Croatia, especially in well-known areas of Rift - highlights Dasovic, she added that the last strong earthquake in Croatia was in Ston, 1996.

When asked whether people should be afraid of the earthquakes, she responds that we can not predict them, but we can turn the tables, and in this she primarily refers to the fact that we are building quality facilities.

The earthquakes themselves do not kill people, buildings do. One of Dubrovnik's construction experts spoke to "Dubrovnik diary" about the quality of construction in the city, and he agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.

Civil Engineer at the beginning of the interview explained that the regulations prescribing the conditions of construction in seismically active areas in Croatia, are well-written, but that in practice it is not implemented sufficiently.

- In Dubrovnik large newly built buildings and public institutions are significantly safer than individual houses. Often investors do not want to build a sufficiently thick and high quality walls  in order to save during the construction. Old houses are also dangerous. Even 70 percent of all housing units in Dubrovnik could be found to be in great danger, in the event of a strong earthquake - says builder and adds:

- A special problem are those properties that are being refurbished, which in practice means that there are some holes, shortened walls, which only undermines the quality of statics. You will never see someone in the renovation of the house that adds a new supporting wall or the like, almost always they are working to reduce static. In Dubrovnik there are numerous houses which were, due to the construction of apartments, renovated in this way. Also, we have cases where the garages, ancillary buildings and the like have been turned into apartments, but clearly that the quality of construction will not stop the powerful earthquake.

Asked whether are the penalties applied if the regulations are not respected on the construction relating to the earthquake, the builder says that there are no classic penalties, but building inspectors may bring charges in court, which then issues a decision.

- Too bad now that in the legalization of houses it was not taken into account. Numerous houses in Dubrovnik and its surroundings, which are now legalized, were not made in accordance with the rules of construction in seismically active Croatian areas - says builder.

Dubrovnik and its surroundings are the most active seismic area in the whole of Croatia with the possible catastrophic earthquakes, up to 7.5 degrees on the Richter scale. As Dasovic said, it is not the question will strong earthquake happen in Dubrovnik, but only when it will happen. Maybe the whole current generation does not experience that, but that does not mean you should not build according to strict criteria, because tomorrow generations, when the strong earthquake happens, will use the same old buildings.

In Croatia every year, on average, several hundred earthquakes occur, but statistics show that every 10 to 15 years old Balkan is struck with at least with one strong earthquake, while every 60 to 70 years catastrophic earthquake happens. In the last 50 years, 91 strong earthquake happened, and in total there have been more than 200 quakes with magnitude greater than 6.0, and 27 of them with average 6.7 degrees on Richter scale.

(Telegraf.co.uk / source: radiosarajevo.ba)