Seismic isolation in buildings to be a practical reality: Behavior of structure and installation technique

Non-payment scenario has seriously plagued the construction industry and affects the contractor’s cash flow. Contractors nevertheless suspend works if their employers refuse to pay. In Malaysia, this right has been introduced in PAM 2006 Standard Form of Contract for building works.  Eventually, PAM 2006 is widely used to manage contractual relationship between contractor and the employer. This paper has been done to explore what are the possible legal issues that may arise when the contractors exercise this right in relation to PAM 2006. The result shows that the employer can challenge contractor’s right in suspension of work for several grounds such as the validity of notice to suspend works, validity of interim certificates as grounds for non-payment. Secondly, the employer can challenge contractor’s right without proper fulfilment such as mitigation of loss, prevention of delay, and submitting notices. Thirdly, contractor may face legal problems in suspending works downstream if there is lack of back to back provisions in PAM 2006 sub-contracts. This paper will significantly illustrate what are the possible legal problems that the contractors may encounter under PAM 2006 and forms a guideline for the contractors to suspend work cautiously and effectively without having to suffer for legal difficulties.

[1]  Costas P. Providakis,et al.  Effect of LRB isolators and supplemental viscous dampers on seismic isolated buildings under near-fault excitations , 2008 .

[2]  Can Balkaya,et al.  Nonlinear seismic response evaluation of tunnel form building structures , 2003 .

[3]  José Rodellar,et al.  An innovative isolation device for aseismic design , 2009 .

[4]  R. S. Jangid.  Optimum lead–rubber isolation bearings for near-fault motions , 2007 .

[5]  Marios C. Phocas,et al.  Response of seismically isolated buildings considering poundings , 2007 .

[6]  Fabio Casciati,et al.  Modelling the uncertainty in the response of a base isolator , 2008 .

[7]  Petros Komodromos,et al.  Simulation of the earthquake-induced pounding of seismically isolated buildings , 2008 .

[8]  A. Colaiuda,et al.  Investigation upon the dynamic structural response of a nuclear plant on aseismic isolating devices , 2001 .

[9]  Andrea Dall'Asta,et al.  Nonlinear behavior of dynamic systems with high damping rubber devices , 2008 .

[10]  Andrea Dall'Asta,et al.  Experimental tests and analytical model of high damping rubber dissipating devices , 2006 .

[11]  Ging Long Lin,et al.  Predictive control of smart isolation system for precision equipment subjected to near-fault earthquakes , 2008 .

[12]  Marios C. Phocas,et al.  EARTHQUAKE ISOLATOR WITH PROGRESSIVE NONLINEAR DEFORMABILITY , 2007 .

[13]  Izuru Takewaki,et al.  Resonant behaviour of base‐isolated high‐rise buildings under long‐period ground motions , 2006 .

[14]  Ioannis Koutromanos,et al.  Seismic response of base-isolated buildings including soil-structure interaction , 2009 .

[15]  Yoshiaki Okui,et al.  A rheology model of high damping rubber bearings for seismic analysis: Identification of nonlinear viscosity , 2009 .

[16]  Vasant Matsagar,et al.  Influence of isolator characteristics on the response of base-isolated structures , 2004 .

[17]  Thomas H. Heaton,et al.  Long-Period Building Response to Earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Area , 2008 .

[18]  Vojko Kilar,et al.  Seismic behaviour of asymmetric base isolated structures with various distributions of isolators , 2009 .

[19]  Heecheul Kim,et al.  Performance of a multi-story structure with a resilient-friction base isolation system , 2004 .

[20]  Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad,et al.  Seismic Base Isolation for Buildings in Regions of Low to Moderate Seismicity: Practical Alternative Design , 2012 .

[21]  Kangyu Lou,et al.  Smart Structures: Innovative Systems for Seismic Response Control , 2008 .

[22]  Panayiotis C. Polycarpou,et al.  Earthquake-induced poundings of a seismically isolated building with adjacent structures , 2010 .

[23]  Alessandro Contento,et al.  Seismic response of a non-symmetric rigid block on a constrained oscillating base , 2010 .

[24]  Nelson Lam,et al.  Collapse modelling analysis of a precast soft storey building in Australia , 2010 .

[25]  Jiahao Lin,et al.  An Introduction to Seismic Isolation , 1993 .

[26]  Sajal K. Deb,et al.  Seismic base isolation : An overview , 2004 .

[27]  Murat Dicleli,et al.  Comprehensive evaluation of equivalent linear analysis method for seismic-isolated structures represented by sdof systems , 2007 .