Presidential Commission for the Evaluation of Habitability reviews Expansion Joints in buildings

Published at: 06/07/2026 07:58 PM

The Bolivarian Government reviews the Expansion Joints, which are part of the architectural design that allows structures to move independently during earthquakes, in addition to structurally separating adjacent buildings to ensure their stability.

The president of the Presidential Commission for the Evaluation of Infrastructure Habitability, Francisco Garcés, explained that these structures are made of flexible or elastic materials.

He specified that many of them are composed of fillers such as expanded polystyrene or EPS (popularly known as “anime”), polyurethane foam or neoprene, while silicones, elastic putties and other similar materials are used to seal and protect the joint.

The explanation was made by civil engineer Humberto Rengel, who pointed out that these joints are spaces between buildings that are intentionally left as part of the design, and their existence is considered within construction regulations to ensure good structural and seismic resistance behavior.

The “anime” is used in modern construction as a filling material, mold, thermal insulator or to lighten the weight of the construction. It has multiple uses, but in no case does it withstand the structural load of the building.

Faced with the false news that circulates on this subject, the commission notes that the columns, walls and beams of reinforced concrete, steel, or even wood, according to the construction system, are those that support the weight and structural loads of the building.

The two earthquakes recorded in Venezuela, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, released a great energy that affected in various ways many structures built over the years, some of which withstood the geological phenomenon, while others, even next to them, were collapsed.

Mazo News Team