TeLL-Net Meeting, Kobe, 19 January 2006
Experience of NSET in Post-Earthquake Pakistan

Building Vulnerabilities in Earthquake Affected Areas of Pakistan
andEfforts towards Influencing incorporation of Earthquake ResistanceinTransitional and Long Term Reconstruction:
anExperience of NSET

Amod Mani Dixit,
Executive Director, NSET
www.nset.org.np

8 October South Asia Quake•

Epicenter :Muzaffarabad•

Magnitude: 7.6 Richter•

Time :•Affected Areas:

08:50 local time

– AJK
– NWFP•Casualties:– 100,000 Plus Including 35,000
childrenmost victims buried in the debris•Home less:– 330,00 households

NSET in Pakistan
UNDP Pakistan invited NSET for:• Capacity Building for Reconstructionof Earthquake Affected areas in AJKof Pakistan

Bringing NSET’s Experience to theEarthquake – Affected Areas ofPakistan• Training on Earthquake ResistantConstruction for:– 150 Engineers and Sub-engineers– Skill upgrading of 600 Working Masons– One day orientation to 1000 Self Builders,Contractors, Activists and Volunteers form NGOs

• Two Demonstration Buildings at Muzaffarabad andBagh• Two Shake Table Demonstrations• Two TOT for Engineers and Sub EngineersAchievement during 19 November
2005 to 12 January 2005
• Organized two series of Training programs forengineering communities and self-builders.
• Trained so far:
– 176
Engineers and Sub Engineers– 130
Masons– 200
Self Builders– Construction of Two Earthquake-resistant Model
Buildings using prevailing/customary buildingmaterials

Mason’s Training

Masons Training

Sub Engineers Training

Engineers TrainingProject Progress Review

Additional Activities
People are confused whether to use therepair and use the building or demolish it
What to use and what not toThrowing away the stones
Collecting the Rebars for re use– Inputs to Temporary Shelters– Building Assessment– Repair and Strengthening Schemes

What we Learned?
• Earthquake Vulnerabilities are similar across developingcountries• Lack of knowledge with key players of Building
Construction– Failure to transmit the lessons of past earthquake e.g. Quetta
earthquake of 1936

• Lack of technological knowledge with the people• Technical Knowledge for avoiding earthquake disasters
are available in the countries, need to implement theknowledge, such as the Building Code
• It’s not difficult to bring in information and knowledge:
can be done with relatively smaller efforts!

Common Structural Vulnerabilities

Traditional Construction Mud Roof overRubble Stone Masonry

Takh (Timber braced Stone Masonry): Timber
Frame is a good earthquake resistant
structure, but walls are notOut-of-plan collapse of walls

Private ResidencePrivate ResidenceGovernment Buildings Especially
Vulnerable

A HotelSchool Buildings are Extremely
Vulnerable in Developing Countries

A Damaged Hospital in Pakistan:
Hospitals are conspicuously
vulnerable in Developing Countries

Damage to Infrastructure

Road Blocked by Debris

BridgesHeavy Destruction / Land Slide Damming

Maqri VillageDestruction of whole Settlement

Maqri Village

The Painful Demolishing and debris
management•Stones being thrown away in the river banks•Storage of scrap rebars to reuseEarthquake Affected Area

Tent City

Modern Toilets: Culturally notadopted by rural population ofPakistan

How does it relate to the Situations in Nepal

Common features
between Nepal andPakistan• Location:– Same Himalayan Range
with similar topography andgeography• Fatalism:– Gunah / Paap/ Graha Dasa

• Low / No Awareness:– Public– Academicians– Policy makers• Construction practice:– Similar to NepalSettlement on the Slope

Wall separation at joints

Soft StoreyColumn Bar Buckling!!

Beam / Column bar anchorage failureNote beam bar anchorageSplicing failure

No Plinth Beams

Shear Failure of JointQuality of ConcreteEverything is not that Bad
Good Practice Results in Safety

What had been constructed??

What is lacking??

•Bonding of Masonry units•Connections in between•Corners and Junctions•Wall and Floor / Roof•Vertical Reinforcement•Horizontal Bands•Quality AssuranceWhat is being reconstructed?

Again repeating the same mistakes!!

New Construction

Retrofitting An Emerging Hot Cake

Temporary Shelters From UNDP

The Response NSET Received fromPakistan
Overwhelming Response from
• AJK Government• Institutions (Goal Pakistan, UN Habitat)• Individuals– Masons– Sub Engineers– Engineers– Government Officials

Thank You !!!