DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 62656946
MSPA 340/09
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
ADF ENGINEERS ASSESS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN
PADANG
Army civil engineers and construction specialists are putting their skills to use in
assessing buildings that can be salvaged in Padang after the earthquake that hit the
region almost two weeks ago.
ADF teams, in co-ordination with AusAID, the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and the Indonesian government, are providing structural assessments to
determine what is repairable.
Army Engineer Sergeant Chris Jones says the assessment process has posed its
challenges for the team.
“Looking from a builder’s perspective, construction methods are very similar around
the world, the difference is the quality of the materials,” Sergeant Jones said.
“We are looking at a lot of superficial damage to partition walls that don’t carry any
of the structural weight. These walls can be replaced or repaired without affecting the
ability of the building to remain standing,” Sergeant Jones said.
Many buildings only reveal the extent of damage on closer inspection.
Adding to the danger of collapse, many disaster victims are seeking refuge in
buildings, but have no idea of the danger they are in.
Civil engineer Captain Peter Cronkhorn says with so few buildings left standing for
shelter, assessing the city’s main hospital unsafe has been a difficult decision.
“The ground floor is still being used in a limited capacity but there is damage to the
columns and you can see where parts of the building have shifted,” Captain
Cronkhorn said.
“In this case, we are recommending the staff move people and equipment to buildings
at the back of the hospital grounds until the main building can be rebuilt.
The community needs this facility to remain open at the moment so we need to find
the best solution for everyone”, Captain Cronkhorn said.
Media note: An ADF spokesperson in Indonesia is available for telephone interview.
Imagery will be available at:
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Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
