Reflection on earthquake damage of buildings in 2015 Nepal earthquake and seismic measures for post-earthquake reconstruction

On April 25, 2015, a M8.1 earthquake happened near Pokhara, Nepal, and aftershocks occurred continuously which caused significant losses. In November 2015, the authors made an in-depth investigation on the earthquake damages of various engineering structures in Nepal. As the post-disaster reconstruction work has not been completed, up to this day, the current reconstruction work is still worthy of continuous attention. Firstly, the earthquake damage of typical frame and masonry buildings in Nepal was described and the causes of damage were analyzed. The reinforcement measures and suggestions were putted forward for post-earthquake reconstruction, which focused on the load transmission path of the structure, the enclosure structure, the beam-column joints, the integrity of the structure, house site selection and structural stiffness. With the help of the finite element software, the numerical modeling analysis of the wall reinforcement measures and a typical reconstruction house was carried out. The results show that the seismic performance of masonry wall can be greatly improved after being wrapped by reinforced concrete or seismic band, the use of seismic band in reconstruction of typical houses in Nepal can effectively improve the seismic performance of buildings. The surrounding areas of door and window openings are still the most vulnerable places to be damaged. Reinforcement should be strengthened in these locations.

Automated summary

Researchers conducted a detailed investigation on earthquake damages in Nepal, proposing reinforcement measures and suggestions that focus on the load transmission path of the structure, the enclosure structure, the beam-column joints, the integrity of the structure, house site selection, and structural stiffness. The surrounding areas of door and window openings are still the most vulnerable places to be damaged and reinforcement should be strengthened in these locations.