Seismic Assessment of an Old Historical Unreinforced Masonry Power House Building

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science Vol. 1385; no. 1; pp. 012019 - 12030
• Main Authors: Bashyal, Jhabindra, Acharya, Sabin, Sundar Khadka, Shyam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Bearing (direction); Bearing capacity; Bricks; Building design; Compressive strength; Cultural heritage; Cultural resources; Earthquake construction; Earthquake damage; Earthquakes; Environmental risk; Finite element method; Fragility; Fragility curve; Historical buildings; Historical structures; Hydroelectric power; Hydroelectric power generation; Lateral forces; Masonry; Materials testing; Risk reduction; Seismic activity; Seismic analysis; Seismic effect; Seismic hazard; Seismic response; Unreinforced masonry; Nepal
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1385/1/012019

Design of unreinforced masonry buildings is a major concern in seismically active zones in Nepal. The ChandraJyoti Jalvidhyut Power House, a historical landmark in Nepal, represents the nation’s pioneering effort in hydropower generation and signifies its rich cultural heritage. This study comprehensively assesses the structural assessment and seismic performance deficiencies of the ChandraJyoti Jalvidhyut Power House. Material tests on bricks with the individual properties and behaviour of construction materials were done. Utilizing a finite element model in DIANA software V 10.5, the structure’s response under pushover loading conditions is simulated, providing insights into its structural behaviour. Additionally, fragility curves are developed to correlate earthquake intensity with the probability of damage, offering essential information for preservation strategies and seismic risk mitigation. The compressive strength test of bricks, with a value of 9.6 MPa, falls short of the 10 MPa minimum requirement specified by NBC 203:2015, indicating insufficient load-bearing capacity. The building’s pushover analysis shows that the longitudinal direction experiences higher lateral forces (base shear of 945.87 kN) and greater drift ratios exceeding 0.4%, which increases the likelihood of cracks compared to the transverse direction (base shear of 826.77 kN). The analysis also highlights significant nonlinear behavior in both directions, with maximum roof displacements of 35.18 mm (transverse) and 34.4 mm (longitudinal), reflecting the impact of structural irregularities.