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Seismic designs, a far cry?

11 November 2009

Most of the houses in Bhutan’s largest dzongkhag, Trashigang, are not retrofitted or built with seismic designs leaving them susceptible to earthquakes, according to Palden Norgay, the dzongkhag engineer. Out of 10,281 houses in the dzongkhag, only a few are built with seismic designs. According to Palden Norgay, most of the houses were built before the introduction of seismic designs in Bhutan. “There is nothing much the dzongkhag can do about the houses that are already built,” he said, adding that not many people came to the dzongkhag to enquire about seismic designs.
Karma, a house owner in Trashigang town, said his house did not have any seismic designs. His house, like all other traditional houses in Trashigang bazaar, was built in the 1970s. Therefore, most houses in Trashigang town do not have seismic designs.
According to Palden Norgay, most houses do not have seismic designs owing the ignorance of the house owners. He said many carpenters from rural areas refused to take suggestions from the dzongkhag. “Even people from urban areas argue with us over the need for seismic designs,” he said.
There are around 24,500 households in the six eastern dzongkhags. The six eastern dzongkhags mostly fall under the high hazard zone, according to Bhutan’s seismic hazard map drawn by Indian Institute of Technology in Rourkee, India. “My house does not have any seismic designs because I did not know there is such a thing called seismic design,” said a cabbie, Karchung from Pam village.
According to Palden Norgay, minor improvements will not help much unless the houses are rebuilt. Moreover, there is a doubt whether building a house with seismic designs would be affordable for a villager. “The ones who can afford can take the drawing from the dzongkhag,” he said.
The simplest form of seismic design is to build single-storied houses with thick walls and deep foundations. “Giving awareness to carpenters and masons in the villages will greatly help in improving the quality of house construction in the villages,” said Palden Norgay.
However, the recent earthquake has made people aware of the importance of seismic designs and retrofitting. Chophel from Bartsham is constructing a house in his village. He consulted an engineer from the dzongkhag before digging the foundation.
He is now building a single- storied house with thick walls and deep foundation as advised by the engineer.

Most of the houses in Bhutan’s largest dzongkhag, Trashigang, are not retrofitted or built with seismic designs leaving them susceptible to earthquakes, according to Palden Norgay, the dzongkhag engineer. Out of 10,281 houses in the dzongkhag, only a few are built with seismic designs.

According to Palden Norgay, most of the houses were built before the introduction of seismic designs in Bhutan. “There is nothing much the dzongkhag can do about the houses that are already built,” he said, adding that not many people came to the dzongkhag to enquire about seismic designs.

Karma, a house owner in Trashigang town, said his house did not have any seismic designs. His house, like all other traditional houses in Trashigang bazaar, was built in the 1970s. Therefore, most houses in Trashigang town do not have seismic designs.

According to Palden Norgay, most houses do not have seismic designs owing the ignorance of the house owners. He said many carpenters from rural areas refused to take suggestions from the dzongkhag. “Even people from urban areas argue with us over the need for seismic designs,” he said.

There are around 24,500 households in the six eastern dzongkhags. The six eastern dzongkhags mostly fall under the high hazard zone, according to Bhutan’s seismic hazard map drawn by Indian Institute of Technology in Rourkee, India. “My house does not have any seismic designs because I did not know there is such a thing called seismic design,” said a cabbie, Karchung from Pam village.

According to Palden Norgay, minor improvements will not help much unless the houses are rebuilt. Moreover, there is a doubt whether building a house with seismic designs would be affordable for a villager. “The ones who can afford can take the drawing from the dzongkhag,” he said.

The simplest form of seismic design is to build single-storied houses with thick walls and deep foundations. “Giving awareness to carpenters and masons in the villages will greatly help in improving the quality of house construction in the villages,” said Palden Norgay.

However, the recent earthquake has made people aware of the importance of seismic designs and retrofitting. Chophel from Bartsham is constructing a house in his village. He consulted an engineer from the dzongkhag before digging the foundation.

He is now building a single- storied house with thick walls and deep foundation as advised by the engineer.

By Tempa Wangdi

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