Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a national seminar held at the Institution of Engineers, Pakistan, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Centre (IEP-RIC) urged people to strictly follow buildings’ construction code for seismic resistance.

The seminar was arranged in collaboration with Frontier Foundry Steel (FFS) to create awareness among the people about quality buildings’ construction to avoid human and material losses during the wake of earthquake.

It was aimed at preparing the public and private sectors to take maximum care in construction of residence and official buildings in order to promote the concept of ‘Strong and Safer Pakistan’.

The seminar was presided over by the IEP-RIC Chairman Hafiz M Ehsanul Haq Qazi who announced on the occasion that they would hold series of such events for the capacity-building of the engineers community enabling them to make positive contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.

During the seminar, three separate presentations were given by Dr Atta Ullah Shah, the vice chairman of IEP-RIC, FFS’s resource person Asif Noor and Dr Muhammad Adil of the University of Engineers and Technology, Peshawar.

They gave technical and professional input as how to ensure safety, standard and quality in the construction work. It was followed by interactive session during which the participants discussed various dimensions and aspects of the buildings’ construction.

The seminar was also addressed by Sahibzada M Junaid, an executive officer of FFS, secretary of IEP-RIC Engr Shafiqur Rehman and seminar’s coordinate Najumuddin. They said they were fulfilling their social responsibility in preparing the nation to take extra-care in construction of official and private houses.

They recalled the grave tragedy, the nation suffered during 2005’s earthquake and said it demanded the nation to make their buildings’ infrastructure safer by properly doing steel and concrete work during construction process. They asserted that proper implementation of approved buildings’ architectural design should also be ensured.

Using of sub-standard building material should be strictly prohibited. They also underlined the need of proper orientation and training of the young engineers to prepare them to face future challenges.

Published in Daily Times, November 5^th 2017.