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

Maintenance
Given the long history of neglect of Kathmandu Valley
heritage, which has been chronicled in every traveler’s
account since at least the early 19th century, one should
assume little to no future maintenance of projects, and
the historic moment of new construction of the type is
long past, meaning each successive earthquake now takes
its toll in vast numbers of weakened traditional buildings
that will collapse or be demolished and will never
be rebuilt. Likewise, the public attitude today toward
old buildings in developing Kathmandu today is a belief
that modern construction is better - and will better
survive the next earthquake. Although the knowledge
and techniques exist to do so, there is almost no understanding
of - or interest in - the possibility of bringing
older structures to a safe condition, rather than replacing
them with concrete. This is part of the particular tragedy
of the Kathmandu Valley’s modernization, and another
reason to design for longevity.
The unique characteristics of Newar architecture-beauty
and symbolism - were privileged over seismic concerns;
but there are also factors of flexibility built in - and aspects
of traditional buildings, when well cared-for - that
dissipate a certain amount of earthquake energy. Techniques
to address the inherent weaknesses of the type
have been the focus of study over time by KVPT and are
detailed in the “seismic issues” and “earthquake manual”
sections of this report. At the same time, and first, seismic
strategies must work with and enhance the particular
strengths of the traditional type wherever possible.
Part II
Evolution of KVPT’s practice and philosophy
1991-2015
As the following project histories are intended to illustrate,
our work in “saving” a building in the Kathmandu
Valley is an extremely creative and individual design process.
It involves the classic elements of preservation work
such as forensic work on the building to understand its
construction history and historical layers, historical research,
community negotiations, and accepting the limitations
of local implementation; and the complex and
delicate work of international collaboration in balancing
local and international norms. This background has led
to our unique position, and we document in Part II the
evolution of diverse solutions that have grown from variations
in: 1) extent of physical intervention; 2) materials
and construction methods; and 3) engineering concepts.
Our solutions to seismic strengthening are to a large extent
a function of KVPT Program Director Rohit Ranjitkar’s
keen understanding of and involvement with the
actual construction process and methods. The development
of our reinforcement solutions takes place largely
on site due to both the irregularity of the medieval architecture
and the three-dimensional complexity of the
construction materials assembly.
Recipe for restoration - context and early projects
KVPT’s early projects took place against the backdrop
of two massive, pioneering, and highly professional projects,
Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu) and the Bhaktapur
Development Project. Both had focused on introducing
a number of best practices in preservation such
as maximizing historical fabric retention and installing
damp proof courses. In terms of seismic strengthening,
there was a general consensus in the early 1990’s that a
concealed ring beam under the wall plate level beneath
the rafters should be considered for historic buildings
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