Lessons after the earthquake, the seismic network has improved, but the Eurocodes in construction are dragging

The great earthquake of November 26, 2019 raised awareness to increase awareness about seismic events and their consequences.

Since that time, the Institute of Geosciences has improved the physical network at the measuring stations and the recovery of older seismic events, but on the other hand, the processes related to the inclusion of the Eurocode standard in construction in the Albanian legislation are not being accelerated.

The Institute of Geosciences held a regional scientific symposium in Tirana, where research results after the Durrës earthquake were mostly discussed.

Ylber Muceku, Director of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences in Tirana, referred that the last devastating earthquake in Durrës in 2019 was the reason for the installation of 10 new modern measuring stations that transmit data in real time.

After the installation of the new stations, the process of recovering the old data and storing it in the database began.

From January 2021, automatic detection and processing of seismic events began, which are automatically linked to regional and European seismic event monitoring networks.

Seismic monitoring in Albania is currently based on ten broadband seismic stations (BSS), which make up the Albanian seismic network, but in total there are 33 stations producing data.

Also, Geosciences experts claimed that a good job has been done with seismic maps and microzoning of areas with high seismic activity, but according to them, the same pace should be followed in the inclusion of Eurocodes in the Albanian law and the improvement of the structures that control and approve new buildings.

Seismologist Llambro Duni suggested to advance with the inclusion of Eurocodes in the local legislation. Currently, the implementation of Eurocode 8 is not mandatory, despite the fact that Albanian engineers try to implement it. However, in the conditions when the construction activity is owned by people who are not engineers by profession and tend to profit, Eurocodes should be binding by law, he said.

Mr. Duni also suggested that the rules and controls should be improved and strengthened, from the granting of permits to the monitoring of works in new constructions.

He said that, throughout the last century, there have been many seismic events with a magnitude above 6, so such events will also occur in the future. What remains for us is to be serious in building buildings with the latest standards, said the expert.

Although the government showed a high commitment to include Eurocodes in domestic legislation after the 2019 earthquake, they are still unapproved today./Monitor