Albanian engineer alarms for several buildings in Pristina: An earthquake like Durres would collapse

As Llyunji has written, interventions have been made in many buildings in Pristina in recent years on land floors of objects, without any technical control or permission.

He says these construction plants endanger the stability of buildings and the lives of residents, and he points out that if the capital was hit by an earthquake similar to what struck Durres, these buildings would become uninhabitable and would collapse.

In February, if Pristina were hit with an earthquake of Durres intensity, all the objects in question would in the best case become uninhabitable, and in the actual case it would collapse”, the engineer Llunji points to a copyright writing.

For this phenomenon under construction, Llyunji says it was reported by some concerned residents of the neighbourhood, CHAlpiana, in Pristina three years ago. As he shows in his writing, for this risk he had written letters to the head of Pristina and the secretary for Urbanism, but he says he has received no answers in return, and no response by municipal authorities has occurred.

Llyunji says such interventions in the structure of the objects in Pristina have been made in the last 15 years in Ulpiana, Dardania neighbourhoods, in objects around the “Mother Teresa” and in other parts belonging to the city centre. This is due to the opening of offices, establishments, and cafes that were opened on the ground floors of the buildings.

“sub-constructions” in a way devoid of professional opinion have hit the whole core of the city of Pristina in the last 15 years. The number of locals, offices, and cafes opened on the ground of residential objects is countless. It's about neighborhoods “Ulpiana”, “Dania”, residential objects around “subezne” and other parts belonging to the city center”, wrote LIunji engineering.

He says that an urgent response should be made to this situation.

This is not a free thought, but a conclusion that requires a reaction as urgently as”, he said.

Full text:

Sub-Building ʹ seismic threat to Pristina city

Three years ago I was contacted by a concerned group of neighborhood residents “Ulpiana” to give my opinion on the impact of opening business establishments (on the ground) on the overall stability of residential objects.

As you know, residential buildings in this large-scale neighbourhood are hit by the phenomenon that I have symbolically named “sub-building” or building on the ground of objects without any technical control and relevant documentation.

These indirect and direct interventions are threatening the stability of these objects, whether the property or the lives of the residents. This is not a free thought, but a conclusion that requires an urgent response.

In February, if Pristina were hit with the earthquake of Durres intensity, all objects in question would, in the best case, become uninhabitable, and in the real case, collapse. Consequently, at that time I have felt a moral obligation to address myself with information on the state of objects in this neighbourhood of Pristina's municipal organs, namely, the mayor of Komuna and the secretary of Urbanism. I haven't received return information, and the response to this problem is also known to have been completely absent.

In these tragic moments for the city of Durres, it is wise to address public opinion, hoping to shed light on the seriousness of the threat and to impose competent organs on taking appropriate steps in this regard.

“sub-constructions” in a way devoid of professional opinion have hit the whole core of the city of Pristina in the last 15 years. The number of locals, offices, and cafes opened on the ground of residential objects is countless. It's the neighborhoods “Ulpiana”, “Dania”, residential objects around “Mother Teresa” and other parts belonging to the city center.

What are underbuilding?

Every intervention in the breeding of facilities for the purposes of opening business objects of all kinds (dices, offices, cafes and restaurants) represents sub-building.

Interventions usually include the removal of the (or, holder) walls of dwellings (or garages) in order to create greater necessary spaces.

The way to remove the walls has usually been done without any analysis of how this departure affects the overall stability of the object, as well as the presence of qualified persons.

The majority does not even own a letter that will prove that the interventions to open premises do not threaten the stability of the facilities. The reason that in most cases only the partitioning or non-constructive walls have been removed does not stand.

Leaving unconstructive walls can have the same negative effect on the stability of objects.

Sub-Building More Dangerous Than Buildings

Overbuilding means increased weight (additional floor) the existing object. Almost every designed object can afford an extra floor.

Meanwhile, the underbuilding means weakening the structure at its weakest point on the ground, where it conveys all loads from the upper floors.

Besides weakening the object in conveying vertical loads (weights from top floors), the even more dangerous weakness is on the side loads (e.g. The earthquake, thus creating weak consignments for carrying these loads.

Seismic risk thus increases multiple, increasing the risk for life and the property of residents. Especially dangerous are cases of combination of construction and sub-building in the same object.

What Must Be Done

To apply the same model that has been applied in all centers that have been faced with this problem.

So, to identify interventions in existing objects and to become the category of risking these interventions.

Category reform will take steps and decisions concerning possible reinforcements of objects or even the ban on their further use until needed stability is ensured.

(Autor is a graduate engineer of construction and author of several books from the bark of seismic engineering.)