Welcome to the thirteenth issue of OPEN MIC NEPAL bulletin. The Open Mic project captures rumours and perceptions on the ground to eliminate information gaps between the media, humanitarian agencies and local people. By providing local media and outreach workers with facts, Open Mic aims to create a better understanding of the needs of the earthquake-affected communities and to debunk rumours before they can do any harm.
Earthquake-resistant buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes and minimise damage. There are many earthquake-resistant technologies. Here, we present some methods appropriate to the Nepali context and design aesthetics.
A house, whose foundation, walls and roofs are connected tightly together, are more immune from damage during earthquakes.
An earthquake-resistant house can be made of bricks, stones or cinder blocks. Regardless of the material used, the principle is to connect the walls, foundation and roof securely together. This can be achieved through the use of strong wooden beams, bamboo or iron rods on the floor, sills, lintels and pillars in the corners of the walls.
To make mud-and-stone houses earthquake-resistant, the foundation should be wider than the floor. A bigger stone must be placed on top of every two stones on the wall, and a rod or a wooden beam must be inserted horizontally and vertically in places for reinforcement along the wall.
The number of floors in a house must be determined based on the area of the land the house will be built on and based on the quality of the soil.
A house made of mud and stones should not be more than two storeys tall.
It is better to get masons trained in building earthquake-resistant houses to build your house. You should get the design of your house approved by the government and follow the building codes.