Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the Study

The Philippines is one of the countries in the Asia pacific located along the typhoon belt

and Pacific Ring of fire. The geographical position of the country makes it vulnerable to different

calamities and tectonic disturbances. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Typhoon

Yolanda), one of the deadliest disasters to ever hit the Philippines, recorded 26 million people

affected and took at least 8,000 lives. In the same year, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake left Central

Visayas with 150 casualties, and several historical churches were damaged. The intensity is almost

equivalent to "32 Hiroshima bombs" (Sodium, PAGASA). These calamities imposed great fear on

the country, leading to the erection of structures with high resistance to natural hazards.

According to A. Oreta (2006), life-threatening damages in existing structures can still

occur despite the incorporation of special provisions for new buildings in terms of earthquake-

resistant designs since revisions on structural codes are limited only to designing new buildings

and provisions do not include conservation of existing buildings.

A study conducted in 2017 showed the difference in the provision of seismic analysis and

design of structure under NSCP 1992 and 2010 in applying to the design of the Multi-Story Public

School Building. The study concluded that NSCP 2010 was more conservative and cautious in

terms of safety and structural integrity of school buildings compared to previous building codes

(Garrote & Ilumin, 2017). In terms of wind provision, NSCP 2001 requires 200 km/h for Zone 2,

whereas, in NCSP 2015, the essential wind speed requirement was 255km/h for the same location.
In line with the given codes, it proves that wind load requirement increases from time to time,

depending on recorded data before the establishment of codes.

The changes in provision pose significant hazards to existing structures. Historical

structures such as Gabaldon schools are not exempted from this hazard, for they were built during

the American regime, way before the constitution of the latest structural codes. This study aims to

address the effects of additional loadings that are not included in the original design and far

different engineering construction methods and techniques.

Gabaldon structures in old public schools in the Philippines resemble a combination of

traditional Nipa hut and Bahay na Bato. Isauro Gabaldon, one of the country's first legislators,

wrote Act No. 1801 or the Gabaldon Law, wherein fund allocation for the construction of these

buildings for public schools was prioritized. Architect William Parsons designed the buildings

with a 7x9 meter high ceiling for proper ventilation and lighting. These structures are constructed

throughout the country and considered valuable cultural property as mandated by the National

Heritage Act of 2009 (RA 10066). The subject of the study is a Gabaldon building located in

Central Malolos Integrated school, wherein the said heritage is protected under the Republic Act

No. 11194 or the Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act that restricts its alteration,

modification, and demolition. The Gabaldon legacy continues in line with the government's effort

to prioritizes its conservation.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study aims to analyze the Gabaldon building of Central Malolos Integrated School

(CMIS) located in Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Malolos, Bulacan using structural modeling. Specifically,

it will seek to answer the following questions:

 1. How compliant is the Gabaldon building to Earthquake and Wind loads (Chapter 2:

Minimum Design Loads, Sec. 207-208) in the National Structural Code of the Philippines

(NSCP 2015)?

2. Considering the Gabaldon building as an educational facility, is it structurally stable in its

present condition?

3. What will be the response of the structure when loaded by ground motion records?

OBJECTIVES

The study aims to accomplish the following:

1. To analyze the structure, taking the material condition into account, with its compliance on the

latest National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP 2015) in terms of Minimum Design

Loads, Sec. 207 (Wind Loads) and Sec. 208 (Earthquake Loads)

2. To determine the seismic response of the structure given a representative earthquake time

history.

3. To assess the current physical condition of the Gabaldon building located in Central Malolos

Integrated School – Sto. Rosario.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be beneficial to the following:

 To the Local Government Unit of the City of Malolos, Bulacan – The result of this

research will provide the local government some additional guidelines in assessing

commercial/institutional buildings. These safety measures will be beneficial for the

community using the school premises.

  To the students of Central Malolos Integrated School – Safety is everyone's

responsibility. The present condition of the building with regards to its integrity is one of

the many factors to be considered if the facility is still fit for use.

 To the Barangay Unit of Sto. Rosario, City of Malolos, Bulacan - Improper management

and maintenance of public buildings may result in accidents. The data present in this

study will help them to identify the facilities that require immediate restoration or

reconstruction.

 To the Future Researchers – For them to expand their knowledge in structural analysis by

revised structural codes and assessment of building using structural modeling and time

history analysis.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The study focuses on the determination of the structure's compliance with the minimum

design of earthquake and wind loads based on the requirements for the concrete design of the

National Structural Code of the Philippines 2015 using structural modeling. In detail of the

NSCP wind provisions, the research will only focus on the effect of the wind loads on the roof

truss of the Gabaldon building. Moreover, the research will be using time history analysis for

different seismic intensities for the past ten years.

The study will not cover the structure's compliance in other aspects other than the said

loads. Only structural modeling and time history analysis will be used for the assessment of the

building.