Adhikari, R;
D'Ayala, D;
Norris, A;
(2020)
Seismic performance evaluation of the existing and retrofitted stone masonry houses in Nepal.
In:
(Proceedings) 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering.
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Abstract
The residential building typology of stone in mud mortar (SMM) masonry, being the most common vernacular construction type in Nepal, contributed significantly to the seismic losses caused by the 2015 Nepalese seismic sequence, also known as the Gorkha earthquake. During the recovery phase, the post-event survey highlighted the need for strengthening of thousands of residential houses of the SMM typology. As part of the ongoing national strengthening campaign, several hundred SMM houses with slight to moderate damage have been retrofitted in rural mountainous districts by different organizations in collaboration with local governments and communities. This paper thus deals with a comparative study of the seismic performance of SMM houses in their existing and retrofitted conditions, in order to assess the increase in seismic resilience due to retrofitting. The results of numerical seismic analyses of both existing and retrofitted index buildings, using validated 3-D element-by-element modelling approach, are first presented and discussed in terms of their capacity curves and failure mechanisms. As per the seismic design code of Nepal (NBC 105:2019), seismic performance assessment is then conducted to understand the performance levels of these constructions. Finally, seismic fragility functions for existing and retrofitted SMM index buildings, considering the uncertainty in ground motions and material quality, are presented and discussed. Considering the seismic hazard in Nepal, the existing SMM typology is found highly vulnerable and the seismic strengthening of these buildings is urgent. The selected retrofit approach i.e. ‘reinforced concrete (RC) strong-back approach’ confirms the life safety performance requirement as per the NBC 105:2019 code, when quality of construction materials and workmanship of the existing SMM construction is according to the traditional standards.
| Type: | Proceedings paper |
|---|---|
| Title: | Seismic performance evaluation of the existing and retrofitted stone masonry houses in Nepal |
| Event: | 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering |
| Location: | Sendai, Japan |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10120856 |
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