Earthquake safety elements in traditional Koti Banal architecture of Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -Despite being located in earthquake sensitive region and often experiencing seismic tremors the State of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas exhibits an elaborate tradition of constructing multistoreyed houses. Both the local dialects of the State (Kumaoni and Garhwali) have unique words for identifying four different floors of a building. This is suggestive of a common occurrence of multistoreyed structures in the region. This paper attempts to establish that the people inhabiting this rugged earthquake prone terrain have evolved the art of constructing earthquake safe structures well before the evolution of the structural engineering principles governing such a construction. Design/methodology/approach -Detailed investigations were undertaken in the area to establish the antiquity of the traditional structures, as were also earthquake safety provisions incorporated traditionally in these. Radiocarbon dating of the wood used in the structures was used to establish the time of the construction of these structures. Findings -Investigations suggest that the region has evolved a distinct, elaborate and magnificent earthquake-safe construction style. This construction style, designated Koti Banal architecture, attained its zenith around 880 years ago. This architectural style exhibits the existence of elaborate procedures for site selection, preparing the platform for raising the multistoreyed structure, also for the detail of the entire structure that was constructed on principles somewhat akin to that of framed structures of modern times.Research limitations/implications -The representative structures of this architecture are observed to be deteriorating fast due to lack of patronage, resources and awareness. This article brings forth awareness regarding the heritage value of these structures, enabling organized efforts for the conservation and upkeep of these structures. Originality/value -This article is the result of original research undertaken by the authors and paves the way for the conservation of the age old traditional structures.

Himalayan earthquakes: a review of historical seismicity and early 21st century slip potential

“…New construction in Assam favours concrete-frame structures. In parts of the Kangra region and in Kashmir, and other parts of the Himalaya, buildings made of stone were frequently assembled with wooden beams that held structures together during shaking (Rautela & Joshi 2008). Examples of such structures are shown in Figure 33.…”

“…Some Koti dwellings succumbed to a 1906 M w 6.5 aftershock (Szeliga & Bilham 2017). Rautela & Joshi (2008) speculated that this style of architecture was introduced more than 800 years ago as a response to a widespread damaging Himalayan earthquake, and that some of the original structures still remain.…”

Penerapan Etika Konservasi Dalam Restorasi Miniatur Rumah Tradisional Nias: Melestarikan Arsitektur Tradisional Tahan Gempa

“…Untuk bagian tiang yang rusak dan masih dapat dipertahankan, dilakukan pengisian dengan bubuk kayu dan adhesive sehingga tiang penopang dapat berdiri tegak dan kuat menopang bangunan. Selain penggunaan struktur kayu dan pasak, penggunaan pijakan batu juga menyediakan fleksibilitas yang tinggi ketika terdapat getaran saat gempa bumi berlangsung (Rautella & Joshi, 2008). Pijakan batu ini merupakan sistem fondasi yang digunakan di rumah tradisional Nias.…”

A Review on Seismic Resilience of Timber Reinforced Structures

“…1 Representation of seismic zones on Indian Map and world seismic map [13] (a) (b) Fig. 2 (a)Earthquake epicentre distribution of HP 1800-2008[15] (b) Map Showing epicentres of earthquakes inUttarakhand [16] Himalayan states Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir have been the epicentres of numerous shattering earthquakes(Fig. 2 (a-b)) [14,16,17] due to which innumerable lives and property have been lost in the past.…”