Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

Post by ChrisMarshallNY » Mon, Feb 13, 2023, 4:52 PM UTC

kerpotgh wrote: post #32

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #11

If I remember correctly, Turkiyé (did I spel it write?) has always had a bunch of rolling heads, after buildings fall down like dominoes, during their frequent quakes. Doesn't seem to have changed things. Japan, on the other hand, seems to have a really hard-core construction ethos. During quakes there, buildings rock around like they are at a rave, and don't fall down. If we ever have a big quake in New York, we're…

Well New York isn’t on an active fault line. I think California would fare pretty well, as much as can be expected after the big one.

Post by ColonelBlimp » Mon, Feb 13, 2023, 4:52 PM UTC

notch898a wrote: post #29

mabbo wrote: post #10

My wife has worked in the 'enforcing building codes' sector of engineering for her entire career. And it's so frustrating to watch. Everyone - everyone - is certain that the codes are all overzealous and their little thing needs an exception. Politicians get elected promising to 'get rid of the red tape'. And then an event occurs and we learn why these building codes exist. Like workplace safety rules, they are writt…

[flagged]

Post by shadowpho » Mon, Feb 13, 2023, 4:53 PM UTC

mschuster91 wrote: post #26

mabbo wrote: post #10

My wife has worked in the 'enforcing building codes' sector of engineering for her entire career. And it's so frustrating to watch. Everyone - everyone - is certain that the codes are all overzealous and their little thing needs an exception. Politicians get elected promising to 'get rid of the red tape'. And then an event occurs and we learn why these building codes exist. Like workplace safety rules, they are writt…

> Like workplace safety rules, they are written in the blood of the dead. Or fire codes. Related off-topic reminder, in the hope it may save one life one day: please use this comment as a reminder to check upon the status of your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and fire extinguisher. At the very least every room where people sleep in should have a smoke alarm and every room with a furnace (boiler, oven, kitchen,…

Post by layer8 » Mon, Feb 13, 2023, 4:53 PM UTC

droopyEyelids wrote: post #19

mabbo wrote: post #10

My wife has worked in the 'enforcing building codes' sector of engineering for her entire career. And it's so frustrating to watch. Everyone - everyone - is certain that the codes are all overzealous and their little thing needs an exception. Politicians get elected promising to 'get rid of the red tape'. And then an event occurs and we learn why these building codes exist. Like workplace safety rules, they are writt…

Seems like it'd be smart to have a footnote or reference to the tragedy that informed the code on each section instead of allowing everything to be forgotten every couple years

Post by wazoox » Mon, Feb 13, 2023, 4:54 PM UTC

mschuster91 wrote: post #12

jl6 wrote: post #7

It’s not surprising at all that the lack of accountability goes right to the top, and it’s tragic that it takes an earthquake to expose the corruption. But Turkey is far from the only country with a corrupt, ticking-time-bomb of construction and infrastructure quality issues. Pretty much every low-to-middle income country has taken the semi-rational approach of cutting corners in order to do more with less. And the h…

> Pretty much every low-to-middle income country has taken the semi-rational approach of cutting corners in order to do more with less. For what it's worth, the "developed" Western countries have done just the same. Look at the fellow front page article about the train catastrophe in East Palestine or how virtually all companies got hit hard by supply chain interruptions - no matter if from Covid, the Ever Given or E…