An empirical method for seismic vulnerability assessment of Nepali school buildings
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An empirical method for seismic vulnerability assessment of Nepali school buildings Dipendra Gautam1,2,3,4 · Rabindra Adhikari1,3 · Rajesh Rupakhety5 · Pushkar Koirala6 Received: 16 April 2020 / Accepted: 30 July 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract The 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal damaged more than 28,000 school buildings across the affected areas. Nepali school buildings can broadly be categorized into special momentresisting frame, brick masonry, stone masonry, timber, and composite construction (steel and masonry). This paper proposes a new methodology to designate seismic vulnerability of these building categories. The proposed methodology is based on the field study of around 3389 school buildings in central Nepal. Structural, non-structural, architectural, site conditions, seismic enhancement and retrofitting, and multi-hazard parameters are incorporated to develop a scoring system. Indexed based system is introduced using sensitivity analysis which allows the designation of total vulnerability scores to individual buildings. The scores are modified based on the level of seismic strengthening/retrofitting. Based on the total vulnerability score, a qualitative vulnerability level is assigned to the individual building. The results highlight that more than 90% of Nepali school buildings are moderate to very highly vulnerable. Keywords Seismic vulnerability · School building · Gorkha earthquake · Brick masonry · Stone masonry · Timber frame
* Dipendra Gautam [email protected] 1
Department of Civil Engineering, Cosmos College of Management and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Thapathali Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal
3
Structure and Infrastructure Dynamics Laboratory (SID‑Lab), Interdisciplinary Research Institute for Sustainability, Kathmandu, Nepal
4
Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, Nepal
5
Earthquake Engineering Research Center, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Austurvegur 2a, 800 Selfoss, Iceland
6
PACE Consult, Kathmandu, Nepal
13
Vol.:(0123456789)
Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering
1 Introduction Damage to buildings is one of the most serious physical effects of earthquakes. Damaged buildings not only result in economic loss but can kill or seriously injure their occupants. It is one of the major causes of disruption in the society. Seismically vulnerable buildings reduce societal resilience to earthquakes. Seismic vulnerability of buildings in this context refers to their inability to resist earthquake shaking and provide expected safe, functional, and comfortable shelter to their occupants. A large proportion of seismic risk can be reduced by making buildings less vulnerable to ground shaking. A proper understanding of seismic vulnerability of existing buildings in a seismically active area is essential to estimate impending risk and manage it properly. Seismic vulnerability assessment of buildings and other structures in seismically active regions is a widely
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