• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 02 / 18 / 2011

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February 18, 2011. Cuba is working on the revision and update of the national earthquake resistance system, to ensure the safety of buildings and population, before the possible threat of an major earthquake, an expert said Thursday.

Cuban civil engineer Ricardo Oliva, from the National Seismologic Research Center, said that new methods on seismic engineering are being applied in Cuba, based on foreign and local experiences learned from recent earthquakes.

He added that one of the applied methods is a zone map, which establishes the high, moderate and low levels of risk indexes by regions.

It also takes into account the analysis and the design of constructions, and the use of instruments capable of warning strong quakes.

He added that after concluding the updating process, the experts from other sectors will be consulted, while training the staff to work with the new standards of the earthquake resistance system.

Cuba set in 1984 the minimal requirements for a building to resist an earthquake.

Cuba is located near an earthquake risk zone in the western hemisphere, and reports an average 20 moderate earthquakes annually, but after the major earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, the telluric activity increased in the country, thus it is necessary to update the local seismic protection system, local media reported.

Source: Xinhua