Assessing building typology and seismic vulnerability of masonry structures built with government grant after 2015 Gorkha earthquake

Abstract

This research investigates the current landscape of reconstructed building typologies and assesses the vulnerability of masonry buildings reconstructed through government grants post-earthquake. A seismic vulnerability assessment framework was applied to evaluate 325 houses in Siddhalek Gaupalika (Ward-1, Ward-2), formerly Nalang, VDC. An indexed-based system was employed to assign total vulnerability scores to individual buildings, facilitating the qualitative classification of vulnerability levels. Findings reveal that 58.2% of reconstructed buildings exhibit very low vulnerability, while less than 41.5% display low vulnerability, with 0.3% classified as moderate vulnerability. Spatial analysis utilizing GIS was conducted to interpret the index's distribution. Additionally, the research identifies major factors contributing to vulnerability across four categories: workmanship and age of building, geometry of building, structure, and seismic components. Recommendations are provided to mitigate vulnerability in reconstructed buildings, emphasizing measures that could have been implemented to reduce susceptibility.