KVPT’s Patan Darbar Earthquake Response Campaign - Work to Date - September 2016

Seismic Issues Manual - in Development
By Rohit Ranjitkar and Evan Speer
Introduction
Over decades of experience in the preservation of Newar
Architecture, the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust
(KVPT) has identified several traditional building practices,
construction methods and other architectural details
that make these structures seismically vulnerable.
This has never been more evident than in the wake of
the devastating April 25, 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Since
that time, Rohit Ranjitkar, Nepal director of KVPT, has
worked to compile integral details and studies of seismic
issues in historic Newari structures. This work has
been developed to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities
of these structures and to advocate for careful detailing
and proper seismic strengthening in the rebuilding and
renovation of these structures, including examples from
lessons learned through KVPT’s project development
through the years. Evan Speer, who has been consulting
with KVPT since the 2015 earthquake provided further
insight and development of these details and fact sheets,
adding to the discussion with structural engineering
concepts.
The following pages include sample fact sheets for
various issues that have been identified and developed
through decades of work. Issues below include Threshold
Base Stone Connections; Timber Column Base
Connections; Brick Masonry Wall Composition; Wood
Rot and Rising Damp; Roof Strut Connections; and
Wall Plate Detailing.
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3
4
6
2
5
These fact sheets are a subset of a larger document still
under development. Additional typical seismic issues include
the following: Beam Holding Top Roof, Yellow
Clay Mud Mortar, Floor-to-Wall Connections, Excessive
Roof Weight, Lack of Floor Diaphragms, Foundation
Wall Isolation, Wood Quality and Consistency.
Harishankara Temple (above)
Principal Elevation used as model to show location of typical
seismic issues
Source: Eduard Sekler, 1982
All figures and photographs in this chapter were created by Rohit
Ranjitkar unless otherwise noted.
Opposite page:
South and North Manimandapas
after their collapse on 25 April 2015
into the adjacent step well
Photo by R. Ranjitkar, 28 April 2015
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