Guidelines on issuing the permit on “improvement of seismic performance of existing buildings” have been communicated by the Planning and Architecture Department of Tehran Municipality to municipalities of the capital city’s different districts.
According to Reza Karami-Mohammadi, the head of Tehran’s Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization, many buildings in Tehran have not been constructed to withstand earthquakes and might not sustain large or moderate quakes.
“On the other hand, the demolition and reconstruction of these building is not possible as it’s not economically or technically viable and due to their legal or property ownership problems, location in urban slum areas,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
“Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center has given its final approval to the technical guidelines on improving seismic performance of existing buildings in Tehran with the aim of reducing the risk of quake hazards to buildings and occupants. The mechanism of implementation of these guidelines has been drafted and communicated to the municipalities by the Planning and Architecture Department.”
On how to register for a permit related to this plan, the official said, “Application for improving the seismic performance of the building, besides property deeds and building’s permit, should be submitted by the owner to the municipality office of the neighborhood. The Renovation Organization of Tehran will offer incentives such as discount on costs of project or banking facilities. Tehran’s Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization will have full supervision over the execution of the project and would brief the Planning and Architecture Department of Tehran Municipality about the progress of the project every six months.”
Studies and guidelines on the improvement of seismic performance of building was carried out between March 2007-9 at Tehran’s Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization in cooperation with Tehran University and Sharif University of Technology. They were updated and published in the past two years with the help of Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center in three volumes.
Karami-Mohammadi said the first volume focuses on improvement of steel-framed buildings and the other two are about improvement of concrete buildings and buildings constructed using other types materials.
