Peshawar – The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar and Elementary and Secondary Education Department (ESED) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa entered into collaboration to carry out the structural health assessment of various schools/buildings in different districts of the province.
Vice Chancellor of University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain, and Secretary ESED Yahya Akhunzada signed the MoU at the ESED Civil Secretariat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Under the MoU, UET Peshawar will use innovative techniques, in accordance with the international codes, standards and specifications, primarily including Rapid Visual Screening (RVS), evaluating the seismic safety of a large inventory of buildings quickly and inexpensively, with minimum access to the buildings, and Detailed Structural Health Assessment (SHA), evaluating the seismic safety of buildings using visual condition assessment, performing field and laboratory tests and carrying out finite element analysis of the building. The ESED will provide the finances within the mandate of project.
The two parties agreed to oversee the process to achieve mutual aims. Prof. Dr Qaisar Ali, Dean, Faculty of Civil, Agriculture and Mining Engineering have been nominated as focal person on behalf of UET Peshawar.
The purpose of the MoU is to bring academia and the government together to take measured decisions regarding demolition and/or reconstruction of school buildings by saving huge amount of public funds. Every year a number of public buildings are demolished and reconstructed without going into their scientific structural evaluation that results in huge economic loss and waste of material resources.
For the purpose of evaluating the merits of building demolition, the civil engineering experts of UET Peshawar are fully capable to help the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to achieve sustainable development in government projects.