The dwellings of the Project ELEMENTAL, condominium Violeta Parra (ex-Quinta Monroy) in Iquique, managed to overcome the difficult test of the earthquake shaking The Tarapaca region last Tuesday, June 13th, exceedingly well, being found with the totality of the families and dwellings in good condition.
EFFICIENT STRUCTURE
The typology of the ELEMENTAL-Iquique project consists in a one story dwelling on the first level and a two story apartment on the second. Between them are voids of 3×6 meters for the development of additions for the families. This obliges a special consideration in the structural design to include the future additions in the initial structure.
On an inspection visit, after the earthquake, it was verified that the residents remembered the technical instructions incorporated by the ELEMENTAL team where the function of the structure in case of earthquake was explained along with how the additions should be implemented. The previous knowledge to these conditions, like the quality of the construction’s response generates a sensation of security and tranquility of the residents.
SEISMIC EVALUATION
Resident leaders, delegates from each of the condominiums and the volunteer teams from the Chile-Barrio Program and Un Techo Para Chile, went house by house verifying that all the inhabitants were in good conditions, evaluating the dwellings’ responses to the tremor.
In this first general observation it was observed that there were no existing damages in the reinforced steel structure.
The most common defect in the contruction corresponds to a mortar fissure and in the window parapets on the second floor, considered a predictable damage in this level of seismic activity along with superficial cracks in the stucco added by the residents themselves.
ELEMENTAL supports and appreciates the good disposition and commitment of the Violeta Parra community, student volunteers, local authorities and the MINVU, y uses the example of these families as motivation to continue the search for innovative solutions and technology for offering safer and more dignified dwellings for all chileans.