Segamat Tremors Spur Call For Closer Monitoring Of Building Structures

SEGAMAT, Sept 1 (Bernama) -- A series of minor tremors in Johor over the past eight days has prompted experts to propose a more comprehensive approach to monitoring and analysing building structures such as government offices, bridges and houses.

Senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Faculty of Civil Engineering, Dr Mohd Zamri Ramli, said that although the tremors were categorised as weak, the cumulative effect of repeated earthquakes could cause progressive cracks in building structures.

“The first earthquake may not have a major impact, but if several aftershocks occur, they can cause cracks to spread further. This condition is known as progressive cracking,” he told Bernama after conducting a site survey with a group of researchers following minor tremors here.

He also suggested public education efforts on how to identify and monitor cracks in houses so that communities are better prepared and more aware of early signs of structural damage.

“This is important to ensure the safety of residents, especially if stronger tremors occur in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, a senior lecturer from the same faculty, Associate Professor Dr Mariyana Aida Ab Kadir, said that although most of the reported damage involved only surface areas, such as plaster and external finishes, and not main structures like columns, systematic monitoring should still be carried out.

Such monitoring should not only involve authorities such as the Public Works Department but is also encouraged among building owners. 

“Small cracks may seem harmless, but they can be an early indicator of structural weakness, especially in buildings not designed with proper engineering, such as village houses,” she said.

Recently, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan was reported as saying that the earthquakes recorded in Segamat since Aug 24 had so far only caused minor cracks in five government buildings in the district.

Five tremors were recorded in Segamat, beginning with the first at 6.13 am on Aug 24 with a magnitude of 4.1, followed by one at 8.59 am on Wednesday (3.2), 7.56 pm on Thursday (2.5), 4.24 am on Friday (3.4) and 7.29 am last Saturday (2.7).

In addition, a tremor with a magnitude of 2.8 was recorded in Yong Peng, 28 kilometres northwest of Kluang, on Aug 24.

— BERNAMA