Designing the Non-Engineered: Low-Cost Seismic Resilience

Studio Nyandak is working on developing different structural intervention techniques to increase the seismic performance of existing buildings in the Himalayan region. We are testing several low-cost structural systems that can be implemented or added to the existing reinforced concrete frame with brick or stone masonry walls. The primary structural system currently used to construct newer buildings in the high-seismic zones in the Himalaya tend to be reinforced concrete frame with unreinforced brick masonry infill. Majority of buildings in this region are non-engineered structures with improper and inadequate structural members. We are developing a small-scale shake table to test reduced-scale physical models to simulate the behavior of these buildings.

We hope that the findings and structural intervention systems from this research will help the high-seismic regions throughout the world that lacks the access to building code implementation, structural engineering design and oversight, reliable construction methods and proper use of construction materials.