Bangkok: The president of the Structural Engineers Association has identified the starting points of the collapse of a building under construction at the State Audit Office.
According to Thai News Agency, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amorn Pimanmas, the President of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand and a researcher at NRCT, referred to video footage showing three major collapse points. These include the breaking of a lower floor column at its middle, a vertical cut-off of the joint between a beamless floor and an upper floor column, and issues related to the elevator shaft.
The earthquake that occurred on March 28, 2015, which led to the building's total collapse, prompted an investigation. The precise origin of the collapse remains undetermined, but it is established that such incidents can result in a complete sequential collapse, known in engineering terms as a pancake collapse.
In addition to these structural points, there may be other contributing factors. One possibility is the resonance between the soft soil layer in Bangkok and the tall building, particularly when affected by seismic waves from a distant earthquake in Myanmar. This long-period earthquake can exacerbate issues due to the interaction between the building and the soil.
Further investigation is required to consider other potential influences, such as the impact of a crane installed in the elevator shaft and its subsequent effect on the building's structure. Despite compliance with the 2007 and 2021 Earthquake Ministry regulations, which mandate designs capable of withstanding certain earthquake levels, the building's collapse indicates that its design and construction require thorough inspection.
The quality of construction materials, including concrete and reinforcing steel, must also be evaluated to determine their load-bearing capacities. The adequacy, standard compliance, and toughness of the steel bars used are critical areas of concern. Comprehensive examination of all these factors is essential before identifying the definitive cause of the collapse.