Tilting buildings of Bangladesh!
Centuries after the leaning tower of Pisa was built, we in Bangladesh are determined to build many tilting buildings in the many urban areas of Bangladesh! The easy way out seems to be to pass the blame on building designers! The reality is however something very much different! It starts as a case of 'ignorance is bliss'; with economy drive being the sole criteria of work! To begin with, ground clearance between adjacent buildings, which is quite important, is ignored! Every one wants to occupy as much land as possible, and the important clearances between built-up areas are ignored! Unlike Dhaka and may be Chittagong, there are no Rajuk like organisation to give approval, after taking into consideration these factors!
Next comes the construction and material quality, which is critical for the foundation and other load bearing members of the structure. Then comes the specification of cement mix ratios and the re-bars, stones and sand quality. The pouring and proper curing of concrete, an important matter, is neglected most often! More often than not, the importance of curing the concrete is ignored! Three days of casual wetting is often considered sufficient! Another fact is ignoring to compact the subsoil properly before starting the foundation!
All these factors contribute to the early demise of the structure, which, like a tired and sick person, wants to lean, rest and lie down! Thus we have the birth of the 'leaning buildings of Bangladesh' with very short lives and premature deaths!
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