Engineers Training on

Seismic Retrofit design of Masonry Buildings

5-9 August 2019, Kathmandu, Nepal

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Organized By:
National Reconstruction Authority – CLPIU
(Building)
Baliyo Ghar Program (NSET), supported by
USAID

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Objectives

After completing this session, you will be able to:

• Understand the purpose and scope of damage

assessment

• Discuss various levels of damage assessment

• Able to do Detail Damage Assessment

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Need of Damage
Assessment
Provide consistent criteria to post earthquake damage
evaluation of buildings

oSafety evaluation to inform owners, occupants, and

the public about the condition of a damaged building in
terms of its suitability for occupancy and general use
following an earthquake

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Need of Damage
Assessment
oIdentify repair/strengthen measures

To evaluate the observed damage in terms of loss in

building performance capacity

oInsurance claim
oGrant distribution

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 Level of Damage
Assessment
Assessment Required Goal Tentative
process Personnel Time per
Building
Windshield -Army/police -Determine the extent of 1 hr.
Survey officers, fire damage
fighters and -Done by driving the
building street or by helicopter
inspectors

Rapid -Qualified -Post apparently safe or 10-20

Evaluation building obviously unsafe min.
inspectors -Identify buildings
-Civil/structural requiring detailed
5
engineers evaluation
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal
 Damage Assessment
Process
Assessment Required Goal Tentative
process Personnel Time per
Building
Detailed -Structural -Careful visual evaluation 1-4
Evaluation engineers of damaged buildings and hours
-Geotechnical questionable situation
Engineer in -Identify buildings
some cases requiring detail
quantitative engineering
evaluation

Engineering -Structural Detail engineering 1-7 days

Evaluation engineering investigation of damaged or more
6
consultant buildings, involving use of
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal
 Damage Assessment Process
Structures Identified for
Evaluation

Rapid Evaluation

Obviously
Apparently OK Questionable
Unsafe
Post INSPECTED Post Post UNSAFE
(Suggest for Repair) LIMITED ENTRY (Suggest for Demolition)

Detail Evaluation

Possibility to
Safe, Repairs is Restore/Retrofit Unsafe, Demolish
Required and Reconstruction
MODERATE/HEAVY
SLIGHT /MODERATE HEAVY/VERY HEAVY
DAMAGE (Suggest for
DAMAGE (Suggest for DAMAGE
Major Restoration and
Repair/Retrofit) (Suggest for Demolition)
Retrofit)

Detail Quantitative
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal Analysis
 Field Safety for
Inspectors
• Always travel in teams of at least two people
• Always wear a hard hat
• Survey the building exterior completely before entering
• Enter a building only if deemed safe to do so.
• Avoid all areas where a hazardous material release is
suspected or confirmed.
• Use available safety equipment when appropriate.
• Be alert for falling objects.
• In case of fire, evacuate the area and alert the fire
department.
• Avoid downed power lines and buildings under them.
• In case of gas leaks, shut off the gas (if possible) and report
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 Useful Damage
Assessment Tools
•Bright flashlight/head lamp
•Digital camera for documentation of observation
•Accurate digital level for checking the floor level and
wall/door/window plumb
•Handy crack comparator
•GPS tool for locating the building in GIS map
•Binoculars for inspection of chimneys, roofs and upper
portions of buildings
•First aid kit
•Extension ladders for accessing roofs.
•Personnel protective equipment including a tight fitting
dusk mask, gloves, hat, knee and elbow pads etc
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 Use of Judgment and
Caution

•Use of judgment is important for post earthquake

building damage assessment

•Manual may not cover all situations; collective

wisdom and judgment is required for those
situations

•These judgment are based on experience of

individual in the team rather than any formal
procedure
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 Rapid Assessment

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Building Safety Evaluation
Classification
Posting
Color Description
Classification
INSPECTED Green No apparent hazard found, although repairs may
be required. Original lateral load capacity not
significantly decreased. No restriction on use or
occupancy
LIMITED Yellow Dangerous condition believed to be present. Entry
ENTRY by owner permitted only for emergency purposes
and only at own risk. No usage on continuous
basis. Entry by public not permitted. Possible
major aftershock hazard

UNSAFE Red Extreme hazard, may collapse. Imminent danger

of collapse from an aftershock. Unsafe for
occupancy or entry, except by authorities.
AREA UNSAFE: Designated area unsafe. It must not be entered except by
authorities.
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 Rapid Assessment Form

Rapid Evaluation Safety Assessment Form

Inspection
Inspector ID: Inspection date and time: AM PM
Organization: Areas inspected: Exterior only Exterior and interior

Building Description Address:

Building Name: District:
Building contact/phone: Municipality/VDC :
Approx. “Footprint area” (sq. ft): Ward No: Tole:
Type of Construction
Adobe Stone in mud Stone in cement Brick in cement Wood frame
Bamboo Brick in mud Brick in cement R.C frame Others:
Type of Floor Primary Occupancy:
Flexible Rigid Residential Hospital Government office Police station
Type of Roof Educational Industry Office Institute Mix
Flexible Rigid Commercial Club Hotel/Restaurant Others:
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal
 Type of Floor Primary Occupancy:
Flexible Rigid Residential Hospital Government office Police station
Type of Roof Educational Industry Office Institute Mix
Flexible Rigid Commercial Club Hotel/Restaurant Others:

Evaluation Estimated Building

Minor/None Moderate Severe
Observed Conditions: Damage
Collapsed, partially collapsed, or moved off its foundation (excluding contents)
Building or any story is out of plumb None
Damage to primary structural members, cracking of walls, or 0-1%
other signs of distress present
Parapet, chimney, or other falling hazard 1-10%
Large fissures in ground, massive ground movement, or slope 10-30%
displacement present
30-60%
Other hazard (Specify) e.g tree, power line etc:
60-100%

Comments: 100%

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Examples

All load bearing walls have severe in-plane cracks

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 Examples

Building tilted due to problem

in bearing capacity of soil

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 Moderate Cracks in few walls of masonry building
17

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Examples

Plaster Cracks and fine cracks in few walls of

masonry
18 building
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 Detail Damage Assessment

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Purpose of Detail
Evaluation

To facilitate the Government for budget

allocation/Compensation to household

To differentiate the buildings which are possible

to repair/retrofit and which needs demolition
and reconstruction

Insurance Claim

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 Basic Steps of Detail Evaluation

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Review of Existing
Building Data
The following documents are reviewed if
available
Review of Drawings
Structural calculations
Construction specifications
Prior building
Review assessment
of existing buildingreport
data saves time in field
Soil report/foundation report

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 Assess Consequences of
Damaging Earthquake

Use non-destructive and intrusive tests if require

Identification of earthquake induced damage
The evaluating engineer must correlate
observations with respect to the overall behavior
with the results of analytical calculation
Differentiate between earthquake induced damage
from damage resulting from other causes.

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Identification of Cracks

Older cracks : Recent cracks :

Paint or soot inside crack
Water, corrosion, or other
stains seeping from crack
Previous, undisturbed
• Small, loose edge spalls
• Light, uniform color of
concrete or mortar within crack
• Sharp, uneroded edges
• Little or no evidence of
carbonation

patches over crack

Rounded, eroded edges

Deep carbonation
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Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Survey the Building from
Outside
Begin the survey by walking around the exterior of
the building
Try to determine the structural system
Examine the structure for vertical discontinuities
Examine the structure for irregular configuration in
plan
Look for cracking of exterior walls, glass frames
etc., which are symptoms of excessive drift

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Survey the Building from
Outside

Examine non-structural elements

Look for new fractures in the foundation or

exposed lower wall of buildings
Different Inspection and test required to conduct.

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Examine the Site for
Geotechnical Hazard
Examine the site for fissures,
bulged ground, and vertical
movements
Examine the area for landslide,
displacement and debris
encroaching onto the site

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Examine the Site for
Geotechnical Hazard

Undamaged buildings in an unstable area may be

posted limited entry or unsafe
Consult soil specialist if any irregularities seen in soil
profile for suggestions and remedial measures

8/6/2019 Type your presentation theme - edit to put title on Insert/header & footer

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal 28

 Inspect from Inside

Before entering the building, look for falling hazards

and consider the danger of collapse
Enter building
Check the structural system
Look in stairwells, basements, mechanical rooms etc.
to view the structural system
Examine the vertical and lateral load carrying system
Check the different types of buildings using checklist
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 Inspect at Critical
Locations
Masonry and RC buildings have
different damage patterns in
earthquake

Common damage patterns are

well known from past earthquake

Inspect those areas in the

building which have potential of
failure such wall junctions, floor
to wall connections, plumpness of
wall etc in unreinforced masonry
building
30

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Conduct Field Test:
Sounding Test

Use hammer or any other dense material

Tap on the wall at several locations
Delaminations, cracks and spalls will generally
produce a hollow sound when compared with solid
material.
In concrete block masonry walls, sounding can be
used to verify that the cells in the blocks have been
grouted.
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal
 Interpretation of Detail
Evaluation
Information obtained in the form of filled forms,
photos, videos taken at site and identification of the
extent of damage, the damaged building is
categorized in one of the damage grades between G1
to G5

Repair, strengthening or demolition is suggested

Some buildings are recommended for invasive

inspections and detail quantitative assessment

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Building Typology of
Nepal

No. Building Types

1 Adobe, stone in mud, brick-in-mud (Low Strength

Masonry).
2 Brick in Cement, Stone in Cement
3 Non-engineered Reinforced Concrete Moment-
Resisting-Frame Buildings
4 Engineered Reinforced Concrete Moment-
Resisting-Frame Buildings
5 Others

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 Masonry Buildings

Adobe Brick in Mud Stone in mud

Brick in cement Stone in cement

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 Others

Wooden
building

Stone in Mud in Ground

Floor and Brick in Mud
in First Floor
Centibera
building

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Building Damage Grades

Type Damage
Grade 1 Negligible to slight damage

Grade 2 Moderate damage

Grade 3 Substantial to heavy damage

Grade 4 Very heavy damage

Grade 5 Destruction

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 Damage Grade 1

Hair line cracks in walls.

Falling small pieces of plasters.
Falling of a few loose masonry units from upper part of the
building.

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Damage Grade 2

Thin Cracks in multiple walls.

Falling of fairly large pieces of
plaster.
Damage to non structural
parts like parapet, wall,
projecting cornices, chimney
stack etc.
Integrity of the building is
apparently stable.

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Damage Grade 3
Large and extensive cracks in
many walls.
Tilting and falling of non structural
elements like parapets, cornices,
part of gable walls etc.
Deformation in vertical and
horizontal alignment may be
clearly visible.
The integrity of the building seems
to be reduced.

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Damage Grade 4

Large cracks resulting in gaps

in the walls.
Partial collapse of walls.
Partial failure of the structure.
The vertical and horizontal
alignment is considerably
disturbed.
Building takes an obvious
dangerous stage.

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Damage Grade 5

Total collapse or near to collapse

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Damage Classification for Load
Bearing Masonry Buildings

DG 1 DG 4

DG3

DG 2 DG 5

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 • Brick in Cement/ Load bearing building
• Hairline cracks in infill walls
• No Structural damage

DG1 P.N-2
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 • Stone in Mud building
• The serious failure in most of the walls
• Building takes a danger state.

DG4 P.N-6
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal
 • Stone in Mud building
• Removal of plaster in
many walls

DG2 P.N-12
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 • Stone Masonry building
• Collapse of walls

DG5 P.N-19
Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal
 • Stone in Mud building
• Failure of gable wall

DG3 P.N-10
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 Detail Evaluation Form

48

Earthquake Safe CommunitiesBuilding

in Nepal age: No. of storey:
 Detail Evaluation Form

49

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 50

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 Detail Evaluation Form

51

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 Home Exercise on Detail
Evaluation Form Fill-up

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Objectives review

After completing this session, you will be able to:

• Understand the purpose and scope of damage

assessment

• Discuss various levels of damage assessment

• Able to do Detail Damage Assessment

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal

 Thank You !!!

Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal