DISASTER RISK

REDUCTION
IN
BUILDINGS/HOUSING
SECTOR

UTTARAKHAND

Introduction:
The mountainous region of Uttarakhand is part of the Himalayas, which are
among the youngest mountain ranges in the world. Consisting mostly of
uplifted sedimentary & metamorphic rocks and tectonically very active, the
region is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, hazards like earthquakes,
landslides, avalanches, cloudbursts, hailstorms, glacial lake out burst floods
(GLOFs), flash floods, lightning, and forest fires etc. have been a cause of major
loss to the region and the society.

Disaster
Incessant rain from 14 June 2013 triggered , possibly due to the fusion of
Westerlies with the Indian Monsoonal cloud system, resulting into flash floods
and landslides over a wide area.
The districts of Bageshwar, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi
were the worst affected.
The natures fury manifesting into unprecedented damage and destruction was
most pronounced in the Mandakini valley of the Rudraprayag district. Torrential
rains coupled with melting of the Chorabari Glacier led to flooding at the
Kedarnath Shrine and the adjacent areas of Rambara, Agostyamuni, Tilwara,
and Guptkashi. Other pilgrimage centres in the region, including Gangotri,
Yamunotri, and Badrinath, which are visited by thousands of during the summer
season, were also affected.

Consequences
More than nine million people were affected.
A total of 680 people died and over 4117 people were

reported missing
About 1,603 villages were affected, 8,586 cattle/livestock were

lost
1,931 houses were fully damaged
Large number of tourists and local inhabitants were stranded in

the difficult treacherous mountain terrain of upper reaches of

the Himalayas
Extensive damage to housing, both in urban and rural areas, as

settlements were mostly concentrated along rivers

Damages to public buildings resulted in severe disruption of

basic services such as education, health, women & child care

etc

IMPACT OF
UTTARAKHAND
DISASTER ON
BUILDINGS

Geographical features
Relief

Uttarakhand has a highly varied topography with

snow-covered peaks,
glaciers,
deep canyons,
roaring streams,
beautiful lakes, &
few patches of dusty plains in the south.
Soils

Uttarakhand has various types of soil

In north, the soil ranges from gravel (debris from glaciers) to stiff
clay.
In south, Brown forestsoiloften shallow, gravelly, and rich in
organic content.
In extreme southeastern part of the state, the Tarai soils are mostly
rich, clayey loams, mixed to varying degrees with fine sand and
humus.

Climate
The climate of Uttarakhand is temperate, marked by

seasonal variations in temperature but also affected by

tropicalmonsoons.
Most of the states roughly 60 inches (1,500 mm) of annual

precipitation is brought by the southwest monsoon, which

blows from July through September.
Floods and landslides are problems during the rainy season

in the lower stretches of the valleys.

In the northern parts of the state, 10 to 15 feet (3 to 5

metres) of snowfall is common between December and

March

EFFECT on BUILDINGS
The foundation of buildings were eroded.
Buildings fell due to landslides.
Some buildings submerged in mud.

REASONS

Soil in Uttarakhand region is vulnerable to

erosion .
a.

Deforestation and clearing of vegetation for

construction of hotels , shops, buildings etc. to
increase tourism lead to more vulnerability for
erosion.

Increased surface flow of river due to silt,

boulders
level.

and debris effecting water

a. Construction of dams
b. No Proper disposal of

muck lead to increase in

silt and rocks in river.
c. Mining activities

Haphazard construction of houses, hotels etc.

a. Construction with no adherence to codesno proper spacing between houses , proper
geological survey of soil keeping in mind
the future prospect was not done.

View of Uttarakhand after disaster

SCOPE FOR DISASTER RESISTANT

DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF
BUILDINGS USING INDIGENEOUS
MATERIALS, SKILLS & TECHNOLOGY
DURING RECONSTRUCTION OF
BUILDINGS IN UTTARAKHAND

 Geotechnical Survey of the Area

- Studying the impact of disaster on soil, Soil Testing and hence

geotechnical measures for the strength of soil

No haphazard construction in the area

- Proper distance between houses as recommended in Indian
standards
- Usage of quality materials in which the stones present in the area
can also be used after proper testing their strength and porosity

The construction should not in the vicinity of river, i.e.

minimum distance of 100 meters from the periphery of river.

Foundation should be designed according to area.

- Foundation should rest on rock and not on soil, if the rock is too
deep then Pile Foundation can be used.
If the area is highly vulnerable to landslide, the construction

should be avoided as far as possible, in extreme conditionproper measures to prevent landslides should be taken.

 Proper bracings should be provided in the building so as to

withstand horizontal force of earthquake

Soft Storey i.e., No Bracing Elements in the ground floor should be

avoided , as they become weak points during horizontal force.

 Avoid mixed systems of columns and structural masonry

walls, Framed structure should be preferred .

Reinforcement in long masonry walls should take place as

it makes building strong.

Grade of concrete should be selected thoroughly after checking the

site conditions and admixtures should be added after taking into

account the minerals present in the soil .
Therefore proper land use planning should take place before any

construction.

POSSIBILITY FOR
RETROFITTING &
RESTRENGTHENING OF
EXISTING BUILDINGS
PRONE TO DISASTER

Buildings Vulnerable to Landslides

Prevention of Soil Erosion
Divert the discharge water away from slopes by constructing

gutters and using sandbags.

a. If there is no scope for diverting - especially in case of
natural sources of water-contain its speed by building small
dams, to ensure that the amount of erosion is in check
Do not stop the water flow altogether, as it will result in pressure

build-up over a period.

Use flexible pipes and divert storm drain or street gutter

in a safe

manner rather than redirecting it down a slope.

Plant trees and small shrubs on the slope to prevent erosion.
a. There exist few species of plants with shallow roots which

are specifically used to protect the top layer of the soil in

mountainous regions. For example: Buckwheat (Fagopyrum
esculentum), Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Retaining Walls
With proper drainage of water , Concrete retaining wall, wood or stone

retaining wall will help to reduce landslide.

a.
Retaining wall should be properly designed & should be checked safe
against earthquake.

Altering the Slope Gradient

The gradient of the slope should be reduced by removing the material from

upper part of slope to near the base.

Professional expertise is required for the same.
Digging and piling garbage should be avoided .

Strengthening of Foundation of
Buildings
Mass concrete Underpinning

By digging boxes by hand underneath the foundation and

sequentially pouring concrete in a strategic order thus
strengthening the footing .

Pile foundation

Pile foundations can be used for

strengthening the soil beneath the
foundation.

Anchorage of buildings weak

Parts

Anchors can be provided for

strengthening the foundation or any
other part of building which is
endangered to fall.

Underpinning by expanding resin injection

A mix of structural resins and hardener should be injected into foundation
ground beneath footings.
The expanding structural resin mix would fill voids and crevices,
compacts any weak soil and then,
if the injection is continued, the structure above may be raised and
re-levelled.

Strengthening of buildings against

Earthquake forces
STRUCTURAL STRENGTHENING
Addition of reinforcing mesh on both faces of cracked

wall holding it to wall through spikes or bolts and then

covering it with cement mortar.
Injecting cement or epoxy like material into cracks

 Removal of portions of cracked masonry walls and piers and

rebuilding them
in richer mortar preferably non shrinking.

Wall openings should be less and if provided, proper peripheral

reinforcement is
necessary.
Increase the lateral strength by increasing column and wall area.
Slates and roofing tiles should be replaced with corrugated iron
or asbestos sheeting.
Insertion of cross walls in unsymmetrical building should be
done to
provide transverse support to longitudinal walls.

 Proper connections between roof or floor and walls, between

intersecting walls and between walls and foundation should be
ensured.
Anchors of roof trusses should be improved

NON STRUCTURAL
STRENGTHENING
Patching of defects such as
cracks and fall of plaster.
Repairing doors , windows and
changing glass panes.
Checking and repairing electric
conduits/wires.
Checking and repairing Gas
Pipes, Water Pipes and Plumber
services
Rebuilding non-structural walls,
chimneys, parapet walls etc.
Rearranging disturbed roofing
tiles
Replastering of walls as
required.

FACTORS LEADING TO
VULNERABILITY OF
BUILDING DURING
DISASTERS

FLOODS
-Lack of maintenance of drains and waterways.
-Constructing new housing settlements without
improving the existing drainage system, thus
overwhelming the drainage system.

IN
GENERAL
Construction
without proper
Geo-technical
knowledge of the
area
Doing construction
without adherence
to Building
codes/standards.
Usage of low
quality
construction
materials.
No proper land
use planning.

EARTHQUAKES
-Location of settlements in seismic areas, especially

on poorly consolidated soils, on ground prone to

landslides or along fault lines.
- Unreinforced masonry buildings with heavy roofs
are more vulnerable than lightweight wood framed
structures.
-Dense groupings of buildings with high occupancy.
- Not building homes on the right foundation

LANDSLIDES

Buildings that lack structural integrity are more

susceptible to be damaged by a landslide than a
more sturdy building.
- Buried pipelines must be made from a flexible
material so that they would shift with the soil
movements and not be more prone to breaking
when theres soil movement
-

CONSIDERATIONS FOR
SAFER SUSATINABLE
BUILDING PRACTICES

Proper Geotechnical survey of the area and testing of soil should be

done.
Providing proper Construction and Expansion joints in the buildings.
Design should be done for Seismic conditions & other possible natural
disasters
Buildings should be constructed on a safe distance i.e., minimum 200
meters from the river.
Cultivation of trees should be done especially near the river.
Foundation should be designed properly according to geotechnical
area.
Grades of concrete should be used according to IS-456 as in mild ,
moderate and severe conditions.
Proper cover /methods should be used to keep reinforcement free
from corrosion.
Effective Land Use Planning should be done before construction.
Strict following of codes (Indian Standards) while construction, should
take place.
Framed structures should be preferred.
Buildings should not be over rigid and should be light weight.

CODES, STANDARDS,
MANUALS, GUIDELINES ETC.

 IS 456 Code of practice for Reinforced Concrete

IS 1893 Criteria for Earthquake Resistant design of

Structures.
IS 13935 Seismic Evaluation, repair and strengthening of

masonry buildings- Guidelines

IS 14458 -Retaining Wall For Hill Area- Guidelines
i.
ii.
iii.

Part 1:1998 Selection of Type of Wall

Part 2: 1998 Design of Retaining/Breast Walls
Part 3 :1998 Construction of Dry Stone Walls

IS 14680:1999- Landslide Control- Guidelines

An Earthquake Preparedness Guide A ready Reconer for

Home Dwellers - NIDM

Seismic Conceptual Design of Buildings- Basic Principles for

Engineers, architects, Building owners, and Authorities

HUGO BACHMANN

KNOW
DISASTER
NO DISASTER
- Thank You