Approval of two draft decrees related to the earthquake-resistant building code applicable to buildings and buildings constructed with clay

Agadir24

In the context of implementing the high instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist and support him, given following the earthquake of September 8, 2023, the Government Council approved, at its meeting on Thursday, September 19, 2024, draft decree No. 2.24.766 amending and supplementing Decree No. 2.02.177 dated Dhu al-Hijjah 9, 1422 (February 22, 2002) approving the anti-earthquake building code called “RPS2000” applicable to buildings specifying earthquake prevention rules and creating the National Committee for Earthquake Prevention Engineering, as well as draft decree No. 2.24.767 supplementing Decree No. 2.12.666 issued on Rajab 17, 1433 (May 28, 2013) approving the anti-earthquake building code applicable to buildings constructed with clay and creating the National Committee for Buildings Constructed with Clay.

During this meeting, Ms. Fatima Zahra El Mansouri, Minister of National Land Use Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, stated that “the two draft decrees are part of the measures aimed at ensuring better supervision of the reconstruction process of areas affected by the earthquake that struck our country on September 8, 2023, as well as ensuring greater resilience and resistance to seismic shocks that affect buildings in general, including those built of clay, taking into account scientific and technical developments recorded in the field of prevention of the effects of seismic shocks.” The Minister also stated that this step comes “pending a comprehensive review of the anti-seismic building code because it has become necessary to reconsider the division of seismic zones in these areas to ensure greater safety and security for all new buildings.”

Regarding draft decree No. 2.24.766, it should be noted that since the issuance of decree No. 2.02.177 approving the earthquake-resistant building code called “RPS2000” in March 2002, the Ministry of National Territory Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy updated the provisions of this code in 2011 with the aim of making it compatible with the latest technical developments in the field of earthquake-resistant buildings, and ensuring the safety of citizens and their property in the event of an earthquake.

However, the devastating earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region on September 8, 2023, and whose effects extended to the Marrakech prefecture and the provinces of Chichaoua, Taroudant, Ouarzazate and Azilal, has once again revealed the need to adopt more rules for resilience and resistance to earthquakes, through a partial review of the values ​​of speeds and areas of speeds and accelerations at the level of some groups, included in the annex to the anti-earthquake building code “RPS2000”. This amendment aims primarily to:

– Adopting new engineering calculation rules that are capable of resisting the force of earthquakes in the required manner;
– Ensuring greater protection of lives and property;
– Keeping pace with various scientific and technical developments in the field of earthquake resistance.

Regarding draft decree No. 2.24.767, it should be recalled that the effects of the devastating earthquake that struck the Al Hoceima region in 2004 showed that national expertise in the field of construction with clay requires enrichment with the experiences accumulated by countries with destructive seismic activity and socio-economic conditions similar to our country. Accordingly, the Ministry of National Land Use Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy took the initiative at the time to draw lessons from international experiences that consider that construction with clay does not conflict with anti-seismic engineering, if the appropriate technical and technological skills in the field of anti-seismic engineering are included during the design and construction of clay buildings. Therefore, Decree No. 2.12.666 issued on May 28, 2013 was issued approving the earthquake-resistant building code applicable to buildings constructed with clay and establishing the National Committee for Buildings Constructed with Clay, which was prepared in partnership with relevant government sectors and national and foreign scientific institutions interested in studying the seismic effects on buildings constructed with clay.

It must be noted that the strength of the devastating earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region on September 8, 2023, has confirmed the need to adopt more rules of resilience and resistance to earthquakes that strike buildings made of clay, in order to provide a good framework for the process of rebuilding the affected areas.
The aforementioned draft decree No. 2.24.767 aims to complete the above-mentioned decree No. 2.12.666, by requiring the adoption of the acceleration zones specified in the speed classification and the speed and acceleration zones at the community level, attached to the anti-earthquake building code RPS2000 “applicable to buildings in which the earthquake prevention rules are specified and by creating the National Committee for Earthquake Prevention Engineering, approved by Decree No. 2.02.177 – as amended and supplemented.

It is worth noting that safety in the construction sector is a priority for the State due to its direct impact on the protection of human lives and material property, which must be guaranteed at all stages of the construction process. In this context, Morocco has laws regulating earthquake-resistant construction, which must be respected by the parties involved in the construction process.