Presenting the new technology Abdul Malik, director, international marketing and sales, SCL, said that the BRB system has already been tested in Canada, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“The testing authorities have expressed confidence in the new technology. Now we’re trying to commercialise it,” he said while making his presentation on BRB System at a seminar titled, “Canbrace Earthquake Protection System for Building and Bridges” at Six Seasons Hotel in the city on Sunday.
SCL and Cosmos Group jointly organised the seminar.
Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit Préfontaine, Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Rakib Ahsan and Cosmos Group director Tehmina Enayet also addressed the seminar.
University of Ottawa, Department of Civil Engineering, has designed the BRB System and Earth Quake Engineering Department of the same university conducted the testing with a high degree of success.
This BRB System is a seismic retrofit technique that is intended to upgrade the existing RC or steel frame structures to protect from earthquakes.
The purpose of BRB is to avoid buckling of the supporting brace during a seismic event, speakers said at the seminar.
About Bangladesh-Canada bilateral trade, the Canadian High Commissioner said the bilateral business of the two nations is growing and many Canadian companies are visiting Bangladesh with keen interest to launch joint ventures in the country.
He said the bilateral businesses of the two countries have reached a new height of $3 billion.
Benoit Préfontaine said the new technology offered by the Canadian firm will be very effective for a big market like Bangladesh where there is an earthquake risk.
Prof Rakib Ehsan said the existing technology to control earthquake vibration is very costly while BRB technology is cost effective and affordable for a country like Bangladesh.
He explained different aspects of the new technology which was tested in Buet laboratory and said he is fully confident about its effectiveness.
Prof Rakib said the available technology to control earthquake vibration is conventional and traditionally designed. “But BRB technology is non-conventional and easy to install.”
He, however, said this technology’s success will depend on the design of the building.
SCL director Abdul Malik said his firm will try to export this technology to other countries of the region like India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.
He said the test of BRB System in Canada and other countries found that it can absorb tremor having a magnitude up to 12 on the Richter scale. This new technology will also help create jobs for local manpower, he added.