Bhutanese houses constructed with stone slabs more susceptible to earthquakes: Report
Mar 04, 2023
Thimphu [Bhutan], March 4 : A recent study has revealed that Bhutanese houses built with stone slabs are more prone to earthquakes in comparison to mud-rammed and concrete buildings, The Bhutan Live reported. The Department of Human Settlement has been carrying out the ongoing national earthquake safety assessment to check the resistance of houses to earthquakes with magnitudes 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. Bhutan's Department of Human Settlement has said that houses constructed with lighter materials like timber are safer in comparison to houses built with heavier materials like stone, as per The Bhutan Live report.
Bishnu Pradhan, the officiating chief engineer of the Department of Human Settlement, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, has said that they have made a guideline called the Earthquake-Resilient Stone Masonry Construction guideline, as per the news report. Pradhan said that they provided training regarding the guidelines across the nation.
"We have provided nationwide training on the guidelines, and today, its implementation has been improved," The Bhutan Live quoted Bishnu Pradhan as saying.
Bishnu Pradhan stressed that the guidelines includes instructions for constructing houses that are safe against earthquakes. As per the news report, the guidelines cannot be made mandatory for all constructions in Bhutan as people in rural areas face difficulty in transporting raw materials.
"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," The Bhutan Live quoted Bishnu Pradhan as saying.
The Department of Human Settlement has been carrying out site visits and checking the new constructions to ensure that the structures are earthquake resistant. As per the news report, the department has analysed houses in 12 districts and assessments in the remaining districts will be completed by August this year.
