A Case study of Building Damage Pattern in Nepal: Insights from the Nov 3, 2023 Jajarkot Earthquake

Abstract

The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya, one of the world's most active zones of continental collision, where there is a significant likelihood of earthquakes. The historical records of the Himalayan arc contain several reports of devastating earthquakes. Research shows that the mid-western and eastern region of Nepal has the higher seismic hazard whereas the southern regions of the country have the lowest seismic hazard. Jajarkot and Rukum West district which were most affected areas due to recent November 3 earthquake lie in mid-western part of Nepal. The Nov 3, 2023 Jajarkot Earthquake of Magnitude 6.4 in 26,557 households fully damaged and 35,455 households partially damaged. 154 individuals have perished, and 364 have sustained injuries in the earthquake that struck Jajarkot. During field inspect the main cause of collapse of buildings is found as: old age and non-engineering buildings, in plane failure and out of plane failure of building, disconnection of joint between stone mud and wood and failure of corner of building. During earthquake reconstruction, the utilization of local quality standards and adherence to national building codes and measurement criteria has been observed as essential. Enforcing code compliance and involving expert engineers in all stages of building design is crucial, as the majority of collapsing structures were not engineered. It is important that appropriate seismic design, good-quality construction materials and approved construction methods are used to minimize damage to engineered buildings.