IFE Heritage Special Interest Group: April 2010

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Fire Alarms ring for heritage buildings

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5720777.cms?prtpage=1

MUMBAI: Just the way a peer’s passing reminds one of one’s own mortality, the inferno that engulfed Stephen Court in Kolkata, claiming 24 lives, has reminded Mumbai of the vulnerability of its own heritage structures.

While potential disasters lay strewn about South Mumbai, which has its A-list of historic old buildings, fire brigade and ambulance services can hardly access the city’s narrow gaothans in an emergency.

“Structures built 100 to 150 years ago were not constructed using RCC, that is cement and concrete. That technology came later,” says chief fire officer Uday Tatkare. “Buildings in those days used a lot of wood, which is a highly combustible material, unlike RCC, which is fire resistant.” Timber, however, does take longer to burn, while steel frames can twist and simply cause a building to collapse.

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Wednesday 7 April 2010

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