The Romans by many accounts were great builders, and one of their primary building materials was concrete. Structures still standing today attest to the longevity of that empire’s building craft. (Of course a certain amount of credit must also go to all the slaves who did the building since without them the costs to build might have severely hampered not only the extent of building, but also the quality.)

In the wake of the recent earthquake in Italy it appears that building practices may not have continued to be as robust as they once were. A number of angry people, who should know a thing or two about building, are speaking out about the loss of new buildings that never should have collapsed. In Sylvia Aloisi’s article from The Star Online there are statements like these:

I am really startled that a reinforced concrete hospital in a highly seismic zone can be so devastated to be declared off-limits. It’s absurd,” said architect Paolo Rocchi, a university professor on the conservation of historic buildings.

He is referring to either the San Salvatore hospital, or L’Aquila’s public hospital that was completed in 2000. It isn’t clear which one he is referencing but nonetheless they are both modern structures.

According to the article, experts have said the use of low quality cement and inadequate reinforcing rods have placed thousands of public buildings at risk.

The bright spot is that the prime minister of Italy committed to rebuilding L’Aquila into an earth-quake-proof town in the next 24 to 28 months, and that “all new structures would be built to the highest of modern standards.”

I’ll bet there is a lot of pencil sharpening going on over there.

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