Cambodia Project: Laying a solid foundation

Drilled foundations for Phnom Penh’s high-rise buildings may not be able to withstand earthquakes, but a lack of attention to quality is a bigger problem, according to experts in the Cambodian construction industry.

Du Sapon, dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Construction at the National University of Cambodia, said that Cambodia’s current building standards are not up to the level of Japan or Russia, and the quality of buildings is still limited. He added that it would be good if Cambodia could emulate these two countries, but Cambodia is emulating the United States and Germany, which have never experienced earthquakes and where Khmer architects often complete their studies.

“Although Cambodia is an island country with layers of mountains to protect it, I believe earthquakes may still happen in Cambodia in the future, so we must strengthen the quality of construction from now on,” he said, adding that the government should not ignore the issue but conduct a thorough review before issuing any building permits.

He said the earthquake in southern Vietnam four years ago affected Cambodia, where some areas were also shaken, “so we can’t say there won’t be an earthquake.” He added that the one to consider was the earthquake in Iran 10 years ago, which killed 500,000 people and destroyed many ancient cities. More recently, an earthquake damaged large parts of Japan and Russia. “If these things really happen, can high-rise residential or office buildings withstand it?” he said.

Sapheung said that in other countries, buildings would crack or tilt in an earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale, but in Cambodia, an earthquake of magnitude 5 on the Richter scale would be enough to flatten all buildings.

“Nearly 90 percent of buildings have foundations that are not sunk deep into the solid layer and these houses will collapse first,” he said, adding that the depth of the solid layer in Phnom Penh ranged from 25 to 47 metres because the terrain was soft.

Lao Tepseiha, deputy secretary-general of the Construction Association of Cambodia and deputy director-general of the Ministry of Construction, said the ministry conducts a very thorough review of all construction projects. If investors do not comply with the ministry’s policies, they are breaking the law.

He said drilling wells in high-rise buildings would not cause earthquakes or collapse. He added: “Drilling wells does not leave holes, they are just filled with concrete. This is how high-rise foundations must be laid.”

He added that investors cannot decide on investments alone but must do so together with architects, engineers, electrical and hydraulic engineers. He said that investments will not be successful if they are not carefully studied.

“The soil in Cambodia is better than the soil in Thailand,” said Lin Sothay, dean of the Norton School of Architecture and Construction. “The soil in Bangkok is soft and poor. But the soil in Phnom Penh is very solid. In Toul Kork, we can actually build the foundation very deep, five to 15 meters, but by the river, the foundation can be 30 meters deep. In Thailand, the depth is twice that to prevent collapse.”

He added that high-rise buildings must have good foundations to prevent the buildings from being damaged in natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes and collapses. There are many types of foundations, he added. “The strength of a building depends on the foundation and the construction layout plan.” However, he said the quality of construction in Cambodia is “limited.”