Good Building Design and Construction in the Philippines

As the Philippines lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes and eruptions are more likely to occur as well as being at the edge of the Pacific Ocean where violent storms are likely to develop, proper construction philosophies and strategic location must be assessed so it can resist external forces.

The book has given a detailed identification of proper house foundation and ground classification to ensure it is not liquefaction prone.^[2]

Principle of coherent structure and the importance of the presence of structural columns to support the walls and roof structure in the event of environmental hazards such as ravaging floods, strong winds and earthquakes.^[3]

Roof trusses must be welded to purlins and tied using extruding column steel reinforcements. to ensure it is fixed properly to the columns and will not fly off during strong winds.^[4]

The proper location has been discussed in the handbook to ensure that the ground below is sturdy enough to support the weight of the structure. It must be composed of bedrock and must not be landfilled and is away from slopes and river beds.^[5]

Broken rough rocks and fine sand must be used and must be free from external sediments as they may affect the strength of the concrete mix.^[6]

• United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction
• National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippines
• Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board of the Philippines Archived 2015-02-23 at the Wayback Machine