Officials in charge of B.C. building codes are defending the province's construction standards in response to concerns raised by engineers at the University of British Columbia.
Engineers examining the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Chile say many new buildings that didn't fare well in the 8.8 magnitude quake are similar to structures in Vancouver—namely they have irregular shapes and underground parking lots.
But Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman says there are critical differences. Buildings in Vancouver have more glass and different bracings. There are also different inspection standards in place.
"There are similarities," said Coleman. "But our guys say that we have some better standards on what we've been building over the same period of time as Chile. I have to go by their expertise."
Engineers have been studying the damage in Chile trying to figure out why its new buildings crumbled. Their journey is captured in the documentary "Monster Quake."
"We studied that damage very carefully," said UBC Civil Engineering professor Perry Adebar. "And we asked ourselves, could buildings in this area--in Vancouver and the surrounding area--have the same problems?"
The City of Vancouver says they have state-of-the-art rules around the construction of buildings with unconventional shapes.
Vancouver adopted its latest building codes in 2006 and new regulations will be implemented in 2011 since codes are revised every five years.
"There are other earthquakes that have happened and we learn from that and so the codes are modified to take into account that new learning," Will Johnston of the City of Vancouver told CTV News.
One thing engineers and politicians can agree on is that no building is entirely earthquake-proof and that people need to be prepared.
The Provincial Emergency Program office offers advice on how to prepare for an earthquake.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's St. John Alexander
