MANILA - Construction technology that reduces the effects of an earthquake on a high-rise is set to be used in a real estate project inside Bonifacio Global City, its developer said.

Following the strong shook Central Luzon and Metro Manila last April 22, Federal Land said its new development would use the latest Japanese technology to minimize shaking.

"Because of what happened a few days ago, the earthquake, everybody is wondering, are our buildings safe?," said Federal Land executive vice president Cathy Ko.

Federal Land's Seasons Residences, which is being developed with Japan's Nomura Real Estate and Mitsukoshi-Isetan uses visco-elastic coupling dampers (VCD) that reduces the shaking caused by quakes as well as strong winds during typhoons.

Placed at strategic points in a high-rise the VCD system uses plates made from special materials that shear and slide past each other.

Federal Land looked at the nearby fault systems such as the West and East Valley Faults, as well as the farther Philippine Fault System and the Manila Trench while designing Seasons Residences, according to a consultant.

"You design the building in such a way that it will be able to resist that peak ground acceleration," said Raul Manlapig, managing director of design and engineering firm Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Ltd.

Manlapig said that damping systems like VCD help dissipate an earthquake's energy to minimize possible damage to a tall building.

Occupants of a high-rise built with damping technology also don't feel as dizzy as those in buildings don't have it, Manlapig said.

Dampers increase a building's ability to absorb a quake's energy by 25 percent, making the structures safer, he said.

The Japanese firm that developed VCD said its technology has been used to make some of the tallest buildings in Asia resistant to earthquake and typhoon damage.

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