National News

Another architect fakes design strength

Five Sapporo condominium complexes have been confirmed to have been built with faked earthquake-resistance data, the land ministry said March 7.

Architect Ryoichi Asanuma tells reporters in Sapporo on March 7 that he faked quake-proof data.

Ryoichi Asanuma, a certified architect second-class based in Sapporo, compiled the faked quake data for the five complexes.

The city is investigating 28 more buildings that Asanuma admitted are not sufficiently quake-proof.

Asanuma has said he faked quakeresistance data on 33 buildings in Sapporo, and that there had been no pressure or instructions from prime contractors to falsify data.

According to city officials, he began fabricating structural data for buildings around 1999.

The city claimed residents of the five complexes do not need to evacuate because none of the buildings has quake resistance below 50 percent of the required level - the level at which people are ordered to leave immediately.

These are the first cases of falsification that do not involve architect Hidetsugu Aneha or Kimura Construction Co., involved in the construction of dozens of buildings nationwide with substandard quake-proofing. (The Japan Times)

Shukan ST: March 17, 2006

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