Cyclone Hudhud that hit the city three weeks ago ripped open homes, blew away roofs and broke the glass facades. As the life begins to return to normal many residents are now finding new damages.
The frames that were ripped off the walls may have left superficial damage to the walls, but then there are anchor bolts that are missing raising doubts whether the damage was just superficial. Some of the residents are now sceptical about the capacity of the existing structures facing another cyclone.
The insurance companies that are grappling with claims from institutions and corporates on the damages have an unenviable task of running a comprehensive study of the structures as many claims are for restoration and not just for repairs.
A preliminary survey shows no visible structural damage, but a thorough study requires more information like the structural designs, a researcher in civil structures who visited the city has said.
The government should engage the Structural Engineering Research Centre of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India to do a comprehensive structural analysis of the existing buildings and structures and suitably modify the designs of the upcoming projects, says Gopi Bulusu of Gravity 2.0.
Given the nature of the calamity and the damage inflicted upon an urban agglomeration, there is a need for a scientific study by an establishment like the SERC to minimise losses and downtime for businesses, he adds.
The buildings like the Sunrise Startup Village appear to have some structural damages. There is a need for a comprehensive study and structural validation of the buildings on the Hills of the Rushikonda IT Park as they bore the brunt of the cyclone.
