Bhutan: Houses built with stone slabs more susceptible to earthquakes

Thimphu [Bhutan], March 4, : A recent study has found that houses built with stone slabs are more susceptible to earthquakes compared to mud-rammed and concrete buildings, The Bhutan Live reported.
According to The Bhutan Live, the ongoing national earthquake safety assessment by the Department of Human Settlement checks for a house's resistance to earthquakes with magnitudes ranging between 6.1 to 6.9.
According to the study, the stone-masonry buildings will not be safe if the country experiences an earthquake with a magnitude between 6.1 and 6.9.
The Department of Human Settlement says that houses built with lighter materials like timber are safer than the ones built with heavier materials like stone.
Bishnu Pradhan, the officiating chief engineer of the Department of Human Settlement, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport says they have made a guideline called the Earthquake-Resilient Stone Masonry Construction guideline. "We have provided nationwide training on the guidelines, and today, its implementation has been improved."
He said that the guidelines have instructions for building houses that are safe against earthquakes. However, the guidelines cannot be made mandatory for all constructions in the country.
"The main issue in the rural parts of the country is difficulty in transporting raw materials, since the movement of heavy vehicles is not possible in all areas. Although people want to build houses according to the guidelines, this barrier is an impediment," he added, as quoted by The Bhutan Live.
Site visits are being conducted by the department. It is also monitoring the new constructions to ensure that the structures are earthquake resistant.
The department has assessed houses in 12 districts. Assessments in the remaining districts will end by August this year.