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Post by Tom A. Saiyan on Nov 26, 2013 13:19:15 GMT 9
Present condition of the old Santo Tomas location inside Intramuros...
sa likod yan ng BF condominium... malapit sa BPI...
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Post by Tom A. Saiyan on Dec 5, 2013 19:45:09 GMT 9
Can the University withstand a super quake?
CAN UST surive the Big One?
According to engineer Lawrence Pangan of the Facilities Management Office (FMO), the University’s buildings could withstand even a magnitude-8 earthquake.
“There will be cracks on some walls, but that is only superficial. Structurally, buildings in UST will remain intact,” he said, adding that collapsing structures will definitely not happen in the University.
Before structures are built in UST, soil testing is done to identify the dimensions of the foundation to be made and limit the height and capacity of a building to ensure safety.
“In Manila, the soil is not as stable like in Quezon City or other cities, that’s why bored piles are used for the stability of UST buildings,” Pangan said.
A bored pile is a kind of deep foundation drilled into the ground to strengthen the structure of buildings and resist seismic movements.
Moreover, the foundations of buildings are also connected using a tie-beam system that minimizes damage during an earthquake.
“When the earth moves, the buildings will move with it and will move as one with the other buildings,” Pangan said. “If they move independently, there will be more damage.”
The hospital extension, which is currently being constructed, also uses the deep foundation and tie-beam system design, the engineer added.
College of Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez said a computer program was used in computing the sizes of the columns built for the Alumni Center and the hospital extension to create adequate reinforcement for seismic protection.
“Everything structurally is now done by computers so the human error factor is decreased,” he said.
Retrofitting
While new buildings were designed to endure tremors, older structures like the Main Building, Arch of the Centuries, Central Seminary, Grandstand and the Miguel de Benavides monument should be checked for earthquake resistance.
“Most buildings can withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake [since] it is required by the present building code,” Fernandez said, though adding that it is about time to survey structures and buildings in UST which may need retrofitting.
Retrofitting is the modification of an existing building to strengthen it from earthquakes by installing new technology like cross braces and base isolators.
“Retrofitting is expensive, but they should start checking if the buildings can withstand a 7.5 or more while we are waiting for the big ones in Manila,” Fernandez said. “It will also preserve the structure’s original appearance.”
Aside from retrofitting, Pangan said buildings in the University also undergo annual inspection by the FMO and building officials to ascertain the safety of these structures.
Student preparation
Meanwhile, the Crisis Management Office will hold drills per building sometime this semester to prepare Thomasians for eventual earthquakes.
However, while Evelyn Songco, assistant to the Rector for Student Affairs, fears that many students do not take these drills seriously, these must still push through since it is important for safety measures.
Security Head Joseph Badinas, meanwhile, said security staff is ready when an earthquake hits Manila, emphasizing that the success of the training depends on student participation.
“They should take it seriously because it’s their lives that are at stake,” he said.
“With the Bohol earthquake, hopefully the students take the drills very seriously,” Songco added. Michael Carlo C. Rodolfovarsitarian.net/sci_tech/20131118/can_the_university_withstand_a_super_quake
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Post by Tom A. Saiyan on Dec 15, 2013 15:54:00 GMT 9
12-story Alumni Center to finally open next year
FOLLOWING changes in plans, the opening of the Thomasian Alumni Center has been moved to next school year.
“The target is for the building to be completed by September or December [2014],” said Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez, project head, in an interview.
The Thomasian Alumni Center will be officially called Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building in honor of the former UST professor and Dominican Master General martyred in 1936 during the religious persecution in Spain. The building is expected to be the biggest of its kind among alumni centers in the country.
Fides Ma. Lourdes Carlos, acting director of the Office for Alumni Relations (OAR), said the building would be a “home away from home” for Thomasian alumni.
In an article published by the Varsitarian in 2012 for the University’s Neo-Centennial celebration, officials said the lobby of the building was expected to be finished last year.
However, Carlos said a lot of factors, like the occurrence of natural calamities, resulted in delays.
Fernandez also said there were changes in the number of floors. “[The lobby] should have been functioning [since] January 2012.
"Originally dapat five-story lang ‘yan, naging six, tapos naging twelve. Nag-iba ang timetable,” he said.
Carlos and Fernandez said interior finishing and fitting began last September, covering the first to third floors.
Preserving the old facade
The Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building sits on the site of the old University gymnasium. To preserve its historical value, the facade of the old gymnasium will be retained.
The grand lobby will be used for homecomings and other alumni activities. Donors’ names will be inscribed on the walls of the ground floor.
The building was funded by donations from alumni benefactors and the US-based UST Medical Alumni Association Foundation. The foundation pledged $1 million for the construction, which started in 2010.
The two spiral staircases of the old gymnasium will be retained to connect to the mezzanine level.
Ballrooms and function rooms with a pre-function area for cocktails will be on the second floor. The third floor will house alumni offices including the OAR, the UST Alumni Association, Inc., the Golden Cross and Saber, and the Thomasian Alumni Leaders Association.
Multipurpose rooms will be on the fourth floor while the next floor will have lodging facilities for alumni visitors and University guests. This will also serve as a training venue for Tourism and Hospitality Management students.
Fernandez said the sixth to twelfth floors will supplement the University’s classroom requirements, operating on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Any college that will be needing additional rooms will be accommodated. Pero ‘di siya dedicated sa isang specific college. Kumbaga, first come, first served,” he said.
Fernandez said that by January 2014, the grand lobby and the ballroom on the second floor would be ready for the annual alumni homecoming. “While this is happening, the rest of the building will of course continue with the construction,” he added.
Abelardo Tolentino, chief executive officer of the Aidea Architectural Firm, which sponsored the design competition for the alumni center, was the original architect of the project. He designed the first to fifth floors before handing the task over to Fernandez, who designed the sixth to twelfth floors.
Thomasian architecture graduates Christian Darby Santos, Weinard Tan, and Jesi Ling made the original design of the structure. Fernandez said he and Tolentino made the working drawings for the project without deviating from the conceptual drawings of the architecture graduates. Jon Christoffer R. Obice
varsitarian.net/news/20131201/12_story_alumni_center_to_finally_open_next_yearPrevious Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building's design
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Post by Tom A. Saiyan on Dec 20, 2013 13:09:34 GMT 9
Recent Proposal of the University of Santo Tomas General Santos
The proposed University of Santo Tomas Campus sits on a lot area of approximately eighty (80) hectares located at Barangay Ligaya in General Santos City.
The scope of the project includes the following:
A provision of Road Networks within the site that will connect to the main road. A provision of walkways with trees and vegetation for shade for pedestrian use. A provision of “Main gate and security”. Since the site is agricultural in nature, the concept of retaining, transferring and replacement of existing vegetation has been acknowledged.
There will be provisions for the following:
Lagoon for Storm Drain Sewage Treatment Lagoon Drainage Pipes Septic Tanks Hydrant and sewage filtration plant
Initially four structures will be constructed:
Multi-purpose Gym University Chapel Fathers’ Residence Main Building
Multi-Purpose Gym
University Chapel
Father's residence
Main Building
Initial academic programs to be offered are:
Education, Humanities, and the Social Sciences Business and Accountancy Information Technology Hospitality Industry Food Industrygandaeversomuch.com/2013/11/good-news-ever/a-sneak-peek-university-of-santo-tomas-gensan-campus/
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Post by Tom A. Saiyan on Dec 31, 2013 10:46:45 GMT 9
Source: Urban Roamer
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