On Jul 7, 8:50*pm, "Pete C." wrote:
Abby Brown wrote:

Hi,

Concrete construction is common in Central America and other
Latin American locales. *Other than being hurricane and
earthquake resistant what are the advantages and disadvantages
of this construction?

Thanks,
Gary

Concrete construction is not hurricane or earthquake resistant unless it
is carefully designed and carefully constructed as designed, and neither
of these conditions apply to most of this construction in these and
similar countries. Ask the folks crushed under concrete buildings in
Haiti how well the concrete construction resisted earthquakes.

The above is true. Remember the collapsed motorway viaduct in
California.
The concrete pillars need a spirally wound "spring" of rebar to
prevent pieces falling out and collapse in an earthquake.
The reason for the construction in LA is that labour is cheap. So to
erect the shuttering is cheap. It's usually infilled with lightwieght
hollow clay blocks & then rendered.
Large buildings throughout LA are dangerous in both fire and
earthquake situations. Best avoided if possible.