Venezuelan engineers inspect over 11,000 buildings for earthquake damage in Caracas

The Venezuelan College of Engineers (CIV) has completed a significant phase of inspections, examining 11,185 buildings in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas to assess damage from the June 24 earthquakes.

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There is damage to the walls, which are not structures, but this is a defect that we have been dragging for many years in all countries because we design structures that are very flexible because we build rigid and fragile walls at the same time. It is something that must be reviewed.

During these inspections, 75% of the buildings were classified with a green tag (8,620 structures), indicating minor or no significant damage. However, 13% received a yellow tag (1,544 structures), suggesting caution or moderate damage, and a concerning 10% were marked with a red tag (1,119 structures), signifying severe damage requiring immediate attention or posing a risk.

Alfredo Urich, an engineer specializing in construction pathology, noted that most damage observed was not structural but affected masonry. He attributed this to a long-standing issue in construction, where flexible structures are combined with rigid, fragile walls. Urich stressed the need to review these design practices.

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Repairs must restore the condition of the affected structural member, they should not modify it when they are specific things and damage that is somehow expected and controlled.

Carlos González, the coordinator of the inspections, confirmed that the data reflects the situation as of August 19, marking the near completion of this initial assessment phase. Urich added that modern buildings showed minimal structural damage due to adherence to seismic-resistant codes, unlike older constructions from the 1950s and 60s when such knowledge was rudimentary. The CIV also issued a strong recommendation against altering building structures during repairs or reinforcements without thorough studies, warning that improper modifications could negatively impact their performance in future seismic events.

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It is already a new building, a new structure, a modification of this type cannot be made without a complete study, a mathematical model of the building and that guarantees that this modification will not worsen the behavior of the building in a future earthquake.