Elaborating further, Dr. Pennung stated that if such a tragedy ever
happens in Kanchanaburi, “Bangkok will definitely be impacted, as the
quake's low-frequency wave and its intensity will be significantly
aggravated by the capital's soft soil layers.” High-rise buildings in
Bangkok will be prone to shaking and possible damage, he added.
Quoting the example of the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake in Japan, Dr.
Pennung said that the quake-hit area was located on a secondary active
fault, where the slip rate was actually quite low. However, when the
quake erupted, it caused great destruction leading to many deaths,
majority of them being in Kobe.
“There are two major types of faults, namely primary active faults and
secondary active faults,” he said. Primary active faults signify high
slip rates, while secondary active faults imply low slip rates. Almost
all faults in Thailand are secondary active faults, which means that
though it is likely that earthquakes can occur in the fault areas, “the
frequency of earthquakes is not high.'' Despite the chances of a
catastrophe being slim, we cannot turn a deaf ear, Dr. Pennung
added.
He suggests that structural engineering issues should be taken into
serious consideration by architects, particularly when it comes to the
construction of skyscrapers. ''When designing or planning for the
construction of high-rise buildings, architects and engineers should
address the analysis and design of structures that support or resist
loads and tremors as their priority,'' he adds.
The entire article titled “Paring for predicaments” can be read at
this
link.