Assignment 1

BALAKOT, MUZAFFARABAD
(Pakistan) EARTHQUAKE OF
8 OCTOBER 2005

Figure 1: Collapsed Sangam Hotel Building(Muzaffarabad)

Case Details:

An earthquake of magnitude Mw=7.6 occurred in the NE of Pakistan on Oct. 8, 2005, at 8:50:40 a.m.
local time, (3:50:40 GMT). Its epicenter was located at about 10 km in the east of Balakot and 19 km in
the north-east of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan administered Kashmir. The earthquake caused heavy life
and property losses in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province
(NWFP), western and southern parts of Kashmir on Indian side and eastern parts of Afghanistan. More

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than 80,000 persons were killed according to the official report. The affected region is a mountainous
area with high landslide potential. A series of landslides were triggered by the earthquake, which
blocked and damaged roads and power transport lines. Small houses located in the slopes were buried
under the debris of landslides.

Collapse of Sangam Hotel Building in Muzaffarbad:

How collapse occurred: Columns were observed to have cracked at the beam-column inter-section.
Formation of a plastic hinge in one of the columns of the building. Inclined cracks were also found at
the mid-height of some columns. Beams were found to be intact and undamaged, but in filled 412
masonry walls were extensively damaged. The failures of reinforced concrete frame structures may be
attributed to deficient design for seismic forces, improper length and location of column splices,
improper spacing and anchorage of lateral ties in columns, and poor quality of concrete.

Reasons for damage:

Column damage above the ground floor in a five storey building. Lack of closely spaced stirrups is
shown here. The maximum moment in the column occurred just below the very stiff beam-floor
construction. The whole building needs to be taken down because this damage cannot be repaired.
With sufficient stirrups the situation may have been different, and with retrofitting, including some
shear walls, the building could have been saved.(Figure 2)
The lower part of a column. The poor quality of the concrete is visible here. Almost no large size
stone aggregate and having a very porous structure. The lack of stirrups allowed the concrete
crumbs to fall down. The steel bars come almost clean out of the broken concrete, indicating the
inadequate adherence between the steel and the concrete. A low cement content, too much water,
poor quality aggregates, or lack of vibration at the time of casting the columns do regularly occur
with lack of adequate site supervision. When the quantity of the reinforcement bars is calculated on
the lowest concrete quality b for reinforced columns of 21 N/mm2 (210 kg/cm2), but this strength
is not achieved, the construction will fail when moderately stressed.(Figure 3)

Special Observations:
On the major earthquake level, some structural members, for example for RC structures, braces,
attached wind walls to columns of frame structures and coupling beams of shear walls, acting as
the first defense line (or protective system) are allowed to be first damaged. In such case the
earthquake energy is dissipated, the dynamic feature of the structure is changed and the
earthquake action has been reduced therefore. The main structural members such as frame

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columns and shear walls which remain as the second defense line after the first defense line
yielding, and therefore they protect the whole structure from collapse. For masonry structures,
tie-columns and tie-beams which acting as restraint members to enhance the ductility of the
masonry wall can be seen as the second defense line. Under major earthquake, masonry walls
are allowed to be severely damaged but the structure can be escaped from collapse owing to the
existing of the tie-columns and tie-beams.
In the above damage due to the earthquake these precautions were not observed causing severe
damage to the structures.

Figure 2 Figure 3

BY: ABHINAV SAKETH A(15CE01002)