Impacts And Insights Of The Gorkha Earthquake

Impacts and Insights of Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal offers a practical perspective on disaster risk management using lessons learned and considerations from the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, which was the worst disaster to hit Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. Using a holistic approach to examine seismicity, risk perception and intervention, the book serves as a detailed case study to improve disaster resilience globally, including social, technical, governmental and institutional risk perception, as well as scientific understanding of earthquake disasters. Covering the details of the Gorkha earthquake, including damage mapping and recovery tactics, the book offers valuable insights into ways forward for seismologists, earthquake researchers and engineers and policy-makers. Includes the latest status of seismic risk, risk perception, to-date interventions and historical scenarios in Nepal Examines details of Gorkha earthquake, including geo-seismicity, damage statistics, casualties, effect on cultural heritage, gender-risk mechanics, case studies of social institutions, urban-risk mechanics, rural-risk mechanics, resilience dimensions, social institutions in risk management, stories of resilience and failures and a critical review of efficacy of interventions in risk mitigation Offers future insights and ways forward in terms of risk reduction studies, socio-cultural dimensions of risk management, scientific intervention and policy making, implementation of existing frameworks and endorsement of resilient practices for Nepal Includes damage mapping in all affected areas

This book is the result of an elaborate project initiated by the Joint Technical Committee (JTC-1) of 1) the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2) the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment, 3) the International Society for Rock Mechanics, and 4) the International Geotextile Society, with the focus on natural slopes and landslides. The framework of the book sets out the steps, based on recent disaster experiences in the twenty-first century, leading to the assessment of earthquake-induced landslide hazards. It contains: 1) important cases of landslides triggered by earthquakes around the world; 2) investigation into the characteristics of ground motion site response; 3) methods to determine landslide susceptibility and triggering thresholds and their comparative study; and 4) commentary on the production of earthquake-induced landslide hazard maps. All the contents are the result of the latest research on related areas. The book is a valuable resource for researchers, designers, consultants, academicians, government officials, and all others who are involved in the mitigation of coseismic landslides. The book contributes toward the development of a new chapter in disaster prevention and mitigation of landslides induced by earthquakes.

This book is a collection of scientific papers on earthquake preparedness, vulnerability, resilience, and risk assessment. Using case studies from various countries, chapters cover topics ranging from early warning systems and risk perception to long-term effects of earthquakes on vulnerable communities and the science of seismology, among others. This volume is a valuable resource for researchers, students, non-governmental organizations, and key decision-makers involved in earthquake disaster management systems at national, regional, and local levels.

Seismic Performance of Asymmetric Building Structures presents detailed investigations on the effective assessment of structural seismic response under excessive torsional vibrations, demonstrating behavioural aspects from local response perspective to global seismic demands. The work provides comprehensive analytical, computational, experimental investigations, and proposes improved design guidelines that structural engineers can utilize to enhance the seismic design of asymmetric building structures. Combining extensive experimental and numerical data stock for seismic performance assessment with a particular focus on asymmetric building structures, the book includes: • An overview of asymmetric building structures from seismic damage perspective • Local and global performance assessment of asymmetric structures under extreme seismic actions • Post-earthquake damage evaluation from varying frequency trends • Extended numerical applications for experimental response validations • Evaluation of critical regions of asymmetric structure with stress concentration • Statistical distribution of seismic response under varying design parameters • Design guidelines for asymmetric building structures This work's comprehensive evaluations are carried out with modern sensing techniques planned with meticulous attention to cover objectives with a particular focus on asymmetry in reinforced concrete and steel structures. It assesses various aspects of asymmetric building structures that are rarely dealt with in the current literature. It gathers fruitful information from various building design codes and explains their limitations in addressing damage-related challenges, which is not only useful for practicing engineers but also for academics. The book will be invaluable for experts, researchers, students and practitioners from relevant areas, as well as for emergency preparedness managers.

Recent earthquakes have demonstrated that despite the continuous developments of novel materials and new strengthening techniques, the majority of the existing structures are still unprotected and at high seismic risk. The repair and strengthening framework is a complex process and there are often barriers in the preventative upgrade of the existing structures related to the cost of the applications and the limited expertise of the engineers. The engineers need to consider various options thoroughly and the selection of the appropriate strategy is a crucial parameter for the success of these applications. The main aim of this collection is to present a number of different approaches applied to a wide range of structures with different characteristics and demands acting as a practical guide for the main repair and strengthening approaches used worldwide. This document contains a collection of nine case studies from six different countries with different seismicity (i.e. Austria, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Nepal and New Zealand). Various types of structures have been selected with different structural peculiarities such as buildings used for different purposes (i.e. school buildings, town hall, 30 storey office tower), a bridge, and a wharf. Most of the examined structures are Reinforced Concrete structures while there is also an application on a Masonry building. For each of the examined studies, the local conditions are described followed by the main deficiencies which are addressed. The methods used for the assessment of the in-situ conditions also presented and alternative strategies for the repair and strengthening are considered.

This book considers the challenges of building disaster resilience in South Asia – a region that frequently experiences some of the most severe and devastating impacts of disasters. Despite significant work to assist affected communities, many smaller South Asian countries remain particularly vulnerable in terms of fostering disaster resilience. Drawing on examples from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the book offers rich insights and narratives on disaster resilience policy and practice. It considers the possibilities for advancing community resilience and capacity building through an exploration of different aspects of governance and policy. Given the diversity of these countries and recent disasters, a variety of perspectives are considered: institutional and policy frameworks, risk management governance, recovery operations, building codes, and policy and media discourse. The book offers a collective understanding of practice, which can offer global lessons to a world increasingly beset by disasters and with uncertain environmental futures. This book will be a valuable resource for scholars, practitioners and students in the fields of disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation, public policy and sustainable development.

Analyses the impact of the 2015 Nepal earthquakes and the need to understand disasters in their cultural and political context.

During earthquakes, masonry buildings are the most affected, and consequently, damage to these buildings leads to massive loss of life and property. Masonry buildings comprise probably the greatest share of overall housing stock, and in turn, understanding their performance during earthquakes is a pivotal problem in seismic regions. Masonry Construction in Active Seismic Regions presents details on the kinds of masonry building found in seismic regions of the world. The title describes interventions, such as retrofitted solutions, dynamic identification, and improved construction after earthquakes, that are equally applicable to regions of moderate and high seismicity. The book covers representative masonry buildings from active seismic regions, the material properties of masonry construction, numerical modelling techniques and computational advances, seismic performance of non-engineered masonry buildings, resilience in typical construction, retrofitting, and the cultural values and structural characterization of heritage masonry buildings in active seismic regions. This book is unique in its global and systematic coverage of masonry construction in seismic regions. Identifies the material properties of masonry construction from a seismic perspective Covers representative masonry buildings from active seismic regions, providing a benchmark to understand existing building stocks Provides numerical modelling techniques and reviews computational advances, including a large test database Details the seismic performance of non-engineered masonry buildings, as well as the cultural values and structural characterisation of heritage masonry constructions Analyses typical or vernacular constructions which have earthquake resilient features, such as Dhajji-Dewari, Borbone, Pombalino, and Himis