IIT Mandi researchers develop a technique for assessing earthquake-prone structures

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi have developed a method to assess the ability of buildings in the Himalayan region to withstand earthquakes. The method is simple and allows decision makers to prioritize any strengthening and repair work that needs to be done to enhance the earthquake resistance of the building. The Himalayas are among the most earthquake-prone regions in the world, due to the constant collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. There were periodic earthquakes which were devastating to these areas in terms of loss of life and property. The Great Kashmir Earthquake of 2005 killed more than 1,350 people on the Indian side of Kashmir, injured at least 100,000 people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and buildings, and displaced millions of people. While earthquakes cannot be prevented, damage can certainly be prevented by designing buildings and other infrastructure that can withstand seismic events. The first step to ensuring the earthquake safety of existing structures is to assess existing strengths and weaknesses. It is neither physically nor economically feasible to conduct a detailed assessment of the seismic vulnerability of each building. A rapid visual inspection (RVS) of buildings is often performed to assess the weaknesses of buildings on a large scale. RVS uses the visual information to decide whether a building is safe for occupancy, or requires immediate engineering work to enhance earthquake safety. Why Most Existing Models Don’t Work for India Existing RVS methods are based on data from different countries and are not particularly applicable to the Indian Himalayan region due to some unique characteristics of buildings in this region. For example, the Himalayan region (as with much of India) has many unengineered structures. There is also chaotic distribution and growth of infrastructure due to lack of awareness among local construction workers and poor planning by stakeholders. Therefore, it is essential to use an area-specific RVS guide that takes into account factors such as local building practices, grading, etc. Explaining the research, Dr Sandeep Kumar Saha explained, “We have devised an effective method of inspecting reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in the Indian Himalayas so that repair work can be given priority according to the condition of the buildings and the risk of impending earthquakes can be reduced.” Through extensive field surveys, researchers have collected a large amount of data on the types of buildings found in the Mandi region of the Himalayas and the typical features present in these buildings that correlate with their vulnerability from earthquakes. A numerical study was also conducted to establish guidelines for calculating the number of floors in mountain buildings for their RVS. Moreover, based on the poor properties present in the buildings, an improved RVS method was proposed. Calculating Seismic Vulnerabilities The methodology developed for the examination of buildings is a simple one-page RVS form that does not require a lot of expertise to fill out. It takes into account the different vulnerabilities that are unique to buildings in the case study area. Calculations made using these observations produce a seismic vulnerability score for buildings, which distinguishes vulnerable buildings from more robust buildings, and allows for better maintenance and repair decisions. The calculation process is designed to minimize the possibility of human bias or resident subjectivity in the building registration. The assessment of buildings in the Himalayan region is urgent and necessary not only because of the general vulnerability of the region to earthquakes but also because a major earthquake is expected at any time due to the ‘seismic hiatus’ of the last two centuries. The seismic gap (the absence of a large earthquake) is thought to represent the time it takes for stress to build up, which is then released in a large earthquake. It is time to strengthen human habitats in these areas so that they can withstand any mild or severe earthquakes that may occur in the future.

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