Himalaya They are among the world’s most earthquake-prone regions due to the ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. From time to time there have been earthquakes which have been disastrous in terms of loss of both life and property in these regions. Great Kashmir The 2005 earthquake in the Indian part of Kashmir killed over 1,350 people, injured at least 100,000, destroyed thousands of homes and buildings, and left millions homeless.
While earthquakes cannot be prevented, damage can certainly be prevented through the design of buildings and other infrastructure that can withstand seismic events. first step to ensure earthquake The security of existing structures is to assess their current weaknesses and strengths. It is neither physically nor economically feasible to carry out detailed seismic vulnerability assessment of every building. Rapid visual screening (RVS) of buildings is often carried out to assess building mass vulnerabilities. RVS uses visual information to decide whether a building is safe, or whether immediate engineering work is needed to enhance earthquake safety.
Why most current models don’t work for India
Existing RVS methods are based on data from different countries and are not specifically applicable to the Indian Himalayan region as some features are unique to buildings in this region. For example, the Himalayan region (like most of India) has many non-engineered structures. There is also chaotic distribution and development of infrastructure due to lack of awareness among local construction workers and poor planning by stakeholders. It is therefore essential to use an area-specific RVS guideline that considers factors such as local construction practices, typology, etc.
Talking about the research, Dr. Sandeep Kumar Singhsaid, “We have designed an effective method to screen reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in the Indian Himalayan region to prioritize repair work according to the condition of the buildings and reduce the risk from impending earthquakes. ”
Through extensive field surveys, researchers have collected a large amount of data on the types of buildings present in the Mandi region of the Himalayas and the specific characteristics present in these buildings that are associated with their earthquake vulnerability. A numerical study was also carried out in hill buildings to establish guidelines for calculating the number of storeys for their RVS. Furthermore, based on the weak characteristics present in buildings, an improved RVS method was proposed.
Calculating Earthquake Vulnerability Score
The methodology developed for screening of buildings is a simple single-page RVS form which does not require much expertise to fill. It takes into account the various vulnerability characteristics that are unique to the buildings in the case study area. Calculations made using these observations generate a seismic vulnerability score for buildings, which separates weaker buildings from more robust ones, and allows better decisions to be made for maintenance and repair. The computation process is designed such that it minimizes the possibility of human bias or assessor’s subjectivity in scoring a building.
The evaluation of buildings in the Himalayan region is urgent and necessary not only because of the general earthquake vulnerability of the region but also because of the “seismic gap” of the last two centuries, due to the possibility of a major earthquake at any time. It is believed that a seismic gap (absence of large earthquakes) represents the time taken for stress to accumulate, which is then released in a large earthquake. Now the time has come to give support to the human habitations in these areas so that they can withstand any future mild or severe earthquake.