Archive - Tuesday, 24 February 2004


Find by date

Other ways to search

Also look for

Never miss anything again. Sign up for our RSS news feeds and Newsletters.

Report to provide valuable lessons

A SCIENTIST from Wroughton engineering company Halcrow has been carrying out research in the earthquake-hit city of Bam in Iran.

Engineer Dr Ali Manafpour has been looking into the causes and effects of the earthquake.

A report based on his research is now being compiled in association with the Institution of Structural Engineers Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team.

Around 40,000 people died and another 100,000 were left homeless when an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck the historic city on December 26 last year. It destroyed around 85 per cent of the city's buildings including much of the city's 2,000-year-old citadel, which was the world's largest clay structure.

The report will look into various aspects of the earthquake including lessons learned from the tragedy as well as information on geological and seismological features and damage to structures.

Dr Manafpour, who works in the Glasgow office of the Halcrow Group, said: "From an engineering perspective each earthquake site is a natural laboratory for our understanding about earthquakes and their effects on society.

"So the earthquake field investigation is essential for documenting the effects, learning lessons and enhancing our knowledge in dealing with future events."

The aim of his report is to help reduce earthquake risk and improve the practice of earthquake engineering and to try and increase the use of measures to try and reduce the harmful effects of earthquakes.

Dr Manafpour added: "We hope to provide findings that will benefit the local and global community, helping to plan for the future and deal with earthquakes in the best possible way."

The company is also working in Iran's neighbour Iraq where it is hoping to set up a permanent base as it helps to rebuild the war-torn country.

In January the firm was overseeing the refurbishment of several large public buildings around the city of Basra.

Anthony Osborne