Dear Colleagues,
Over the past few months I approached a no. of organisations such as
ISSMGE, ICE, ASCE, IStructE together with some Univs to gather
their views on the relevance of information retrieval systems for buildings
and other structures for the purpose of better disaster preparation
which will involve readily available data accessible on the web or similar
e.g. prior to and after an earthquake. Many see the logic of looking into
this issue but cannot comment further based on current privacy laws in
many countries around the world. There are other reasons for having this
info such as for better preparation for emergency authorities to handle
disasters. It could also be beneficial for owners to carry out refurbishments
in the absence of as-built drawings etc and other info connected with
aged structures.
The obstacle here seems to be privacy laws whereby info cannot be
readily made available on the public domain without seeking approvals.
I think we may need to change these regulations to cope with the
times such as increased environmental issues that currently affect us.
Recent floods in many countries pose a danger to basements. Prior
warning can serve to save lives and damage to properties.
I have set up a discussion group called "geotechnical and structural
tagging" on http://www.mygeoworld.net and welcome comments
from anyone. There are opportunities for spin-offs, perhaps colleagues
could also mention them.
Best Regards,
Parminder Singh
Independent Civil Engineering Professional
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
E [log in to unmask]
|