Seismic performance of buildings in nepal after the gorkha earthquake

Following the strong earthquake of Gorkha, Nepal, on April 25, 2015, and a strong aftershock on May 12, a field reconnaissance of structural damage and structural collapses was performed around the affected areas, particularly in the region around the capital Kathmandu. The main goal was to develop detailed descriptions of the seismic performance of the Nepalese building stock. To achieve this goal, the field reconnaissance survey was carried out after the two main seismic events. In this chapter, a summary of the survey is provided, focusing on both recent reinforced concrete (RC) buildings and older substandard constructions. In addition, detailed descriptions of the observed damage to urban masonry building stock and rural vernacular constructions are provided. This chapter presents evidence from the field that justifies the observed seismic performance and enables the depiction of damage modes, which could be insightful regarding future efforts to develop earthquake-resistant constructions and strategies to improve the seismic behavior around the world.