IStructE - The Institution of Structural Engineers: "People�s participation in housing construction was important for developing a sense of ownership, stressed Dr Asoka Perera (Moratuwa University). He advocated the use of non-traditional building materials, such as his own cement � soil blocks and slipform walls � pioneered by the National Engineering Research & Development (NERD) Centre. It is not economically feasible to try to make every item of infrastructure tsunami-proof, warned the the Chairman, Dr A.C. Visvalingam (Past President). Summing up, he advised that the suddenness, unexpectedness and scale of the tsunami attack should not close the eyes of policy-makers and designers to the rarity of this type of disaster. It would be more prudent to work with nature by moving all inessential structures further into the interior, wherever reasonably possible, and to protect the shoreline with suitable vegetation. He suggested that all buildings should be designed to resist medium-level earthquakes and cyclones. It was imperative that every population centre had a centrallylocated, robust, well-constructed building of adequate height into which people could move rapidly when expecting floods, cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis. He reminded delegates that an extensive advisory document had been produced after the 1978 cyclone but most of its recommendations had been forgotten or were being observed in the breach." Read More
