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Construction safety standards in Tbilisi

By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, August 21
Most of the housing stock in Tbilisi was built during the Soviet period; in recent years a new wave of construction has added modern apartment buildings and houses. Some analysts express their concern regarding both periods of construction. Most of the Soviet–era buildings are obsolete; as time passes they become more dangerous and there is little chance for these buildings to be replaced in the near future. Regarding the newer buildings experts say there is no professional quality control for producing concrete and metal. Construction companies often use poorly trained workers and overall there is a lack of expertise when it comes to building construction. Some say Georgian-produced cement conforms to international standards-a question which can be raised regarding Armenian and Turkish cement. There is also rising concern about the speed of construction: many new buildings are finished in record time which raises doubts if safety standards are being followed properly.