Seismic Vulnerability Due to Construction Defects

Abstract

In Ecuador, informal construction is a recurrent problem, especially in low-span constructions, as well as in medium-size constructions, in which there is no strict control during their construction and design. This leads to deficient constructions, which diminishes the resilience of the elements, even though they are designed by a professional with experience in structural design, who follows at least all the guidelines of the current standards, and uses the appropriate tools for their conception and design. This generates a false sense of security in the occupants of the building. Failures do not usually occur in the short term, no matter how pitiful the construction method was. In case of anomalies, it is considered something futile, easy to cover up, which only has aesthetic implications. This causes even the most experienced of technicians to trust, making crass mistakes that can lead to the collapse of the structure. Given these problems, the degree of vulnerability due to defects in the building was evaluated.