VERNACULAR

ARCHITECTURE
VERNACULAR
&
DISASTER
MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED BY:-
SUBMITTED TO:-
AKANKSHA
AR. JASPREET KAUR
SAKSHI
AR. MANDHIR SINGH
SANJAY
RIYA
RAQIB
 WHAT DOES VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AND
DISASTER MANAGEMENT MEAN?
o Disasters like earthquakes, flood or any other cause enormous loss of lives and property frequently.
oDuring such events particular types of houses are found to be more resilient than common types
of housing stocks. This paper outlines the disaster resilient vernacular housing technologies. The
vernacular houses are analyzed in terms of their performance and shortcomings during any kind of
disasters and found to be technologically resilient in many aspects of impending disasters in
different regions.
oAs there is no instant possibility of enforcing building codes and guidelines for earthquake and
floods resistant construction technologies and replacing the structures by modern reinforced
concrete construction across the country and even people are not able to afford the modern aspects
of disaster resilient constructions; identified resilient features of houses are instrumental in Assuring
safety
 Serviceability
 cultural comfort
 patrimony and resilient livelihoods in rural and suburban .
oThe vernacular constructions also incorporate the cost effectiveness with proper use of local
materials and cultural reflections in housing units.
oVernacular housing constructions are unique and local technologies of constructions in local
areas engrossed by the local people, resources and knowledge. Throughout the world, vernacular
housing constructions are significantly occurring and their rational and resilient features are
nowadays more recognized in terms of sustainability
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISASTERS :

Floods Cyclone Earthquake

Heavy Rainfall Heavy Snowfall

FLOOD:-
A FLOOD IS AN OVERFLOW OF WATER ON NORMALLY DRY GROUND. THIS IS MOST
COMMONLY DUE TO AN OVERFLOWING RIVER, A DAM BREAK, SNOWMELT, OR HEAVY
RAINFALL. LESS COMMONLY HAPPENING ARE TSUNAMIS, STORM SURGE. THE MOST
DEADLY FLOODING WAS IN 1931 IN CHINA AND KILLED BETWEEN 2,000,000 AND 4,000,000
PEOPLE
FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF BANGLADESH:

• A large proportion of the countryside

as well as the majority of urban
areas in Bangladesh is flood- prone.
During heavy flood, more than 60% of
the land is inundated.
• Recent floods in 2004 has
destroyed many houses and
about 1 million people became
homeless. To a large extent, the
patterns and causes of
destruction seem to result from
poor technical knowledge and
wrong perceptions.
• The usual tendency is to apply the
same model irrespective of
context – for example, the same
house design is built on highland
and low-lying flood prone areas.
LOCATION, NATURE AND
CLIMATE
• Official name: :People's Republic of Bangladesh
• Capital: Dhaka
• Area Total: 144,000 sq. km
• Land: 133,910 sq. km
• Water: 10,090 sq. km
• Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot,
humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy
monsoon (June to October)
• Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal,
between Burma and India
• Comparative Area: slightly smaller than Iowa
• Land boundaries: total: 4,246 km
• border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
• Coastline: 580 km
• Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
 REFLECTION O CULTURAL HERITAGE IN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RURAL
HOUSING :
TOILET & Kitchen &
Wall made by Thatch &
S TORE s tore
B amboo

Main
Living

Living

Entrance

• The houses of the Muslim families are more introverts in nature, because of some religious regulations.
This is done by fencing or wall made by local
building materials that are available. It is found that people considered this sort of introversion of women as
a part of their culture and religious belief.
Traditional house in its basic form is a cluster of small ‘shelters’ or ‘huts’ around a central court-yard called
the ‘Uthan’. The huts are usually single roomed, detached and loosely spaced around the central court.
• Hindu women are allowed to go out house frequently. Using a common pond inside the community is a
traditional feature of rural Hindu settlements.
• During the transformation of housing this feature is remaining unchanged for the community. Common
pond which is open for bathing and other household activities (e.g. cloth washing, puja etc.) is used for
some homesteads belongs to peoples with Hindu religion which is not a common feature for Muslim
House holds.

• In a Hindu family it is common that a place is reserved for planting

holy tree ‘Tulsi’.
• There is also a specific room for the worship and for placing the
images of gods, which is unfamiliar in a Muslim family.
• Generally Puja Ghar (room made for prayer containing idol) is
located at the outside of the homestead (beside baithak ghar) and
Tulsi is placed at the internal courtyard.
• These traditional features are present at the Hindu households of Organization oh Hindu home containing
the survey area. Puja ghar and Tulsi.
 A TRADITIONAL RURAL BENGALI
HOUSE :
• A traditional rural 'Bengali House' in its basic form is a
cluster of small 'shelters' of , huts' around a central
yard, locally called the 'Uthan'.
• The huts are usually single roomed, detached and
loosely spaced around the central courtyard.
• Extensive landscaping is done to define the house
in the larger landscaping and the surrounding
environment.
• The house interior accommodates a number of
different uses side by side
• The house is organized with respect to two broad
categories
of functions
• (i) The family functions i.e. the functions pertaining to the
family itself such as sleeping, cooking and eating.
• (ii) The formal functions i.e. the functions pertaining to
the family as it reacts with the larger community such
as socializing and receiving visitors.
 TYPES OF HOUSES :

Mud walled House

• In most of the rural areas of Bangladesh, rural houses are characterized by mud walled. Sometimes walls
are made of sun dried earthen blocks.
• These mud walled houses are generally oblong in shape and covered with the roofs made with clay
tiles or thatch. The application of these construction materials depends on their availability and the ability
of the house owners.
• In these specific regions the lands are normally above flood level. Besides this, relatively less rainfall, dry
climate and lateritic soil (which gets very hard when dry) are the main reasons behind the mud
constructions.
• Relatively taller (15´) mud walled houses are found in the southwest part of Bangladesh. The houses with
two
or three levels are common in Chittagong region.

Bamboo walled House

• The walls are generally made of bamboo and rooms are configured in rectangular shape.
• It also acts as a thermal buffer in hot and cold seasons. Sometimes the bamboo enclosures are plastered
with
mud to protect it from rain and for aesthetics purposes.
TIMBER
HOUSE
• Relatively smaller groups of populations in Cox’s Bazar, Teknaf, and Moheskhali are using the house forms having
walls constructed with timber.
• Generally, the houses are built on raised wooden platform to get safety from snakes and other animals.
• The lower parts of the houses are also used for various purposes like storage, keeping domestic animals,
different family activities etc.
• Another motivation behind this wooden construction is the availability of wood in the forest areas.
• Some of these buildings are also finished with different wood carvings for aesthetics purposes.
• With these distinctive features, the houses are representing the special identity of those region.
DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF HOMESTEADS :

Typical Layout Features:

• Typically, rural homesteads follow a
courtyard layout.
• A group of separate buildings surround an
open space and thus define the courtyard.

• Each building is essentially a one-

roomed structure accommodating
different functions such as dwelling
units for extended family members,
kitchens and granaries.
• Toilets and outhouses such as cowsheds
are located on the periphery of the
homestead.
• The homestead is extensively planted with
trees along the boundary and strengthens
the introverted layout.

.
DESIGN ASPECTS CONSIDERED FOR
FLOODS :
The central part of the courtyard should be its highest point,
sloping gently (1% minimum slope) to the edges to allow
drainage.

• Drainage channels connected to nearby water bodies

should be created to prevent stagnation of water within
the homestead, especially around the edges of buildings.
Homestead design aspects and photo showing house in flood-prone
• Similarly, before the wet season, a small supply of area of Manikganj with screened off machan which is normally used
bamboo poles should be stockpiled which can be used for for storage
making temporary bridges between houses and to the
outside.
• In some flood-prone areas, houses have a built-in
wooden/ bamboo platform (machan) normally used as
storage space, but during flood serves as a raised refuge
area. This practice should be encouraged and promoted
for wider replication.
• The main entry into the compound should be raised
to allow access during flood.
LANDSCA
PING
Planting Criteria :
• Trees should be planted in such a way that the
courtyard can get adequate sunlight.
• Trees which provide fruit as well as timber should be
given more importance. These also act as financial
security.
• Trees with deep and dense root system (coconut,
date palm, etc) should be used on the slope of the
homestead mound.
• Trees which can grow by the water and can withstand
floodwater for a long time ( hizal, gab, borun, pitali, etc)
should be planted in the lower part of the slope.
• Planting catkin grass on the edges of the mound should
be encouraged because it protects from erosion
and is also a source of fuel, fodder and building
material.
• Bamboo plantation is highly recommended for every
homestead as it protects the soil from erosion, can
withstand both drought and flood and is an important
building material source.
STRENGTHENING EARTHEN WALLS :

Internal Framework
• For areas with heavy rainfall and flood, it is
essential for earthen houses to have an internal
structural framework.
• After rainfall or flood recedes, earth cover that
may get washed away can be renewed without
compromising
the structural stability of the house.
• Framework can be of bamboo or timber which
should be treated against decay.
• Earth to be used as plaster or daubing without
serving
as structural element. Adding cement to the
mud plaster stabilizes it and allows resisting
erosion.
• An earthen wall with internal framework of
bamboo
used typically in Sylhet District
STRENGTHENING BAMBOO
STRUCTURE :
Cross-Bracing
• To increase stability and wind resistance of the
structural frame of bamboo-framed houses, cross
bracing with split bamboo sections should be
done.
• If a house become weakened at its base due
to flood, cross-bracing helps to keep the
structure stable.
• Split bamboo sections used for cross-bracing
should be treated with chemical preservatives
so that they do not decay easily and lose their
strength.
• Instead of jute or coir rope, nylon rope should be
used for tying the elements of the structural
frame.
CYCLONE :
• Cyclone is an atmospheric phenomenon which causes extremely strong winds and torrential rains.
• This phenomenon occurs at the end of summer when the waters from the tropical oceans are hotter.
• Closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that
produce a heavy rain.
• Cyclone are characterised by inward spiral wind that rotate about a zone of low air pressure.
• Warm core cyclone such as tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclone lie within the synoptic scale.
• Mesocyclones, tornadoes lie within the smaller mesoscale.
• Cyclone are also seen on the extra terrestrial planet such as Mars & Neptune.
• Cyclone are formed due to latent heat driven by significant thunderstorm activity.
 TYPES OF CYCLONE :

The term “cyclone” actually refers to several different form of storms. Below are the three types of
the
cyclone :-

• TROPICAL CYCLONE.
• POLAR CYCLONE.
• MESOCYCLONE.

Tropical Polar Mesocyclone

Cyclone Cyclone
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN CYCLONE PRONE AREAS OF
ORISSA :
GEOGRAPHICAL DETAILS:-
• Orissa extends from 17o 49’N to 22o 36’N latitude and from 81o 36’ E to 87o 18’E longitude on the eastern coast
of India with an area of 155,707 Sq. km.
• The state is broadly divided into four geographically regions viz. the northern plateau, central river basins, eastern hills
and coastal plains.
CLIMATE:-
• The climate of the state is characterized by hot summer and cold winter in the interior. The climate of
the coastal region near the Bay of Bengal is moist equable.
• The State can be divided into ten Argo climatic zones on the basis of soil, weather and other
relevant characteristics.
• Its land can be classified into three categories, low (25.6%), medium (33.6%) and uplands
(40.8%) with
various types of soil like red, yellow, red loamy, alluvial, coastal alluvial, laterite and black soil
etc.
with low and medium texture.
MULTI HAZARD AREA:-
• Orissa is prone to multiple natural hazards like floods, cyclones, earthquakes and droughts.there
are 11
major river systems in the state which have the potential to cause very high floods.
• The Mahanadi, one of the major rivers flowing in peninsular area and its tributaries cause major floods
in around 40% of thestate’s geographical area. in the past, cyclones and associated storm surges
have inundated vast areas of land along coastal Orissa.
• A high percentage of land area are also prone to earthquakes the coastline of Orissa is also
prone to tsunami, areas affected by super cyclone in 1999 and floods in 2001 and 2003 have been
VULNERABILITY OF ORISSA TO
CYCLONES :
•Even though its coastal line
represents roughly 17% of the
east coast, nearly 35% of
cyclonic and severe
cyclonic storms with core of
hurricane winds have crossed
along this stretch.
• Between the years 1877 and
1990, the state has
experienced a very large
number of cyclonic storms,
and as many as 50 of these
can be classified as severe
cyclonic storms.
• Many of the past cyclones
that
have affected Orissa
in combination
with storm surge have
inundated
very large extent of land
area.
DESIGN ASPECTS CONSIDERED FOR CYCLONE :
DESIGNING OF HOUSES :
• We do have control over the shape of new buildings and shape is the most important single factor in
determining the performance of buildings in cyclones. Simple, compact, symmetrical shapes are best.
The square plan is better than the
• rectangle since it allows high winds to go around them. The rectangle is better than
• the L-shaped plan. This is not to say that all buildings must be square. But it is to say
• that one must beware of the implications of design decisions and take
• appropriate action to counter negative features. The best shape to resist high winds is a square.
• If longer shapes are used, they must be designed to withstand the forces of the wind. Most houses are
rectangular and the best layout is when the length is not more than three(3) times the width. In case of
construction of group of buildings, a cluster arrangement can be followed in preference to row type.
 INTRODUCTIO
• NNatural disasters such as forest fires, oil spills, earthquakes and floods are a source of high
economic, environmental and human impact. Every year, thousands of human lives are lost,
millions of people bear the destruction of their homes and an invaluable economic harm is made

• Architects play important role in disaster mitigation

and recovery after hazard events.

• Architectural design prevent or decrease destructive

consequences of disasters on structures.
EARTHQUAKE
•Earthquake, any sudden shaking of the ground caused by the passage of seismic waves through earth’s rocks.

• Earthquake is a natural phenomenon, which can occur any time anywhere.

• Earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault.

• This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake.

• W hen two blocks of rock or two plates are rubbing against each other, they stick a little. They don't just slide
smoothly; the rocks catch on each other. The rocks are still pushing against each other, but not moving. After
a while, the rocks break because of all the pressure that's built up.

• W hen the rocks break, the earthquake occurs. During the

earthquake and afterward, the plates or blocks of rock start
moving, and they continue to move until they get stuck again.

• The spot underground where the rock breaks is called the

focus of the earthquake. The place right above the focus (on
top of the ground) is called the epicenter of the earthquake.
EARTHQUAKE ZONES IN INDIA :

ZONE 1 – No area of India is classed as Zone 1

ZONE 2- Low damage risk zone.

ZONE 3- Moderate damage risk

zone. Zone 4- High damage risk

zone
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, the parts of Indo-Gangetic
plains (North Punjab, Chandigarh, Western Uttar
Pradesh, Terai, North Bengal, Sundarbans) and the capital
of the country Delhi fall in Zone 4. In Maharashtra, the Patan a
rea (
Koynanagar) is also in zone no-4.

Zone 5- Highest damage risk area

The region of Kashmir, the Western and Central
Himalayas, North and Middle Bihar, the North-East Indian
region, the Rann of Kutch and the Andaman and Nicobar gr
oup of islands fall in this zone.
TECHNIQUES
(a) USE OF MATERIAL
• In thecase of construction, the used masonry fabric typology affects
masonry
performance of the the under an earthquake.
building

• Typologies can differ in the constituent material (stone, brick, adobe, rammed earth, etc.), in
the type of masonry used (ashlar range stone masonry, rubble random stone masonry,
roughly shaped stone blocks, random bricks, etc.), in the masonry layout
(irregular/regular horizontal courses, irregular/regular section, multiple-leaf, lack of
connection between faces, etc.), or in the type of mortar used, if any.

BRIC K RAMMED STON ADOB

S EARTH E E
TECHNIQUES
• The quality of the masonry determines the capacity of the building to bear vertical forces and to withstand
the horizontal forces resulting from seismic load. Insufficient quality of the type of masonry used and
absence of good connection between the leaves can lead to its detachment or to the overturning out-of-
plane of part of the wall.

ROUGHLY RUBBLE ASHLAR RANDOM BRICK

SHAPED RANDOM RANGE STONE WORK
STONE STONE MASONRY
BLOCKS MASONRY
TECHNIQUES
(b) WALL
TYPOLOGY

 An effective seismic-resistant technique often observed

 in vernacular buildings is the insertion of wooden horizontal elements in the masonry wall.
 Stone masonry walls with embedded timber beams can be observed in many highly seismic
regions in the world, such as Turkey ,India ,Pakistan , Macedonia or Italy.
 The timber beams are usually positioned parallel to walls in both sides,
and other timber elements are positioned perpendicularly, linking both beams and
• creating a ladder like arrangement .
 This timber lacing technique ties the wall together, keeping them from
 spreading and out-of-plane overturning, and also
 imparts ductility to the system.
TECHNIQUES
(c ) FLOOR TYPOLOGY
• The use of wooden floors is an historical seismic-resistant building system, aimed at
performing tw main tasks: first,to connect and to couple the surrounding
walls; second, as a flexible horizontal element, to absorb seismic shocks
by accommodating the movement of the perimeter walls, working as a
diaphragm.
• Proper connections between walls and floors are needed so that the vertical
• structures do not behave independently and the coupling effect is achieved.
 TECHNIQUES
• The improvement of wall to floor and wall to roof connections has been traditionally achieved
by the piercing of the masonry wall with wooden floor beams and roof rafters. The empirical
solutions to assure a tight connection between walls and floors and
walls and roofs were wooden pegs or beams resting on the whole width of the walls. Metal
brackets and ties were also applied
TECHNIQUES
(e) OTHER REINFORCED ELEMENTS
-BUTTERESSES
• Buttresses can be built at the same time as the
building, as a deliberated feature, or they can be
added on to older masonry, as a reinforcement
measure.
• Buttresses can counter the rotation of the façade
thanks to their sheer mass.
• They can be found again, in most of the highly seismic
regions, where masonry is the main construction system,
such as Italy, Peru or India.
• In Portugal, buttresses are also common in vernacular
architecture, being introduced in earthen
constructions to counteract the lateral forces exerted by
roofs, arches and vaults .
• They may also have a seismic concern origin and
they can still be found in many vernacular buildings
KASHMIR
 ZONE MAP :

Earthquakes in Kashmir have occurred with regularity over the centuries, and the Kashmiri
houses reflect an adaptation to this threat through the interlacing of heavy timber within the
plane of the
exterior walls of the masonry buildings.
CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES USED
BEFORE
EARTHQUAKE
CONSTRUCTION IN RURAL
AREAS OF KASHMIR
• Rural buildings constructed in a traditional way by the people often referred to as
vernacular buildings.
• Constructed from local materials with local skills and a deep understanding of local social
and economic constraints, traditional architecture is in many aspects sustainable
architecture.

• Historically, the buildings have depended completely upon stone, mud, bricks and wood for
roofing as well as wall.

• The steep pitch of the light roof permits little accumulation of snow and prevents any water
leakages.
TRADITIONAL HOUSE IN OLD
KASHMIR MADE UP OF
TIMBER CONSTRUCTION

MUD HOUSE IN OLD

TAQ SYSTEM
• TAQ System In this system of construction 2 1/2 -3 ft. thick brick masonry piers
supporting wooden floor beams formed the basic structural system of the building.
• The distance between two brick piers used to be normally around 3-4 ft and was known
as a TAQ.
• The TAQ thus formed the basic structural bay of the building. The gap in between
each taq would be filled in with either a window opening or brick masonry.
• Normally the inner facing of the structure would be made of sun dried brick (kham
seer ) or rubble infill.
• The super structure usually rested on a 3-4 ft high
stone plinth, constructed in random rubble masonry.
• This wooden log was supported on load

Bearing masonrypiers.
• Most of the internal walls were usually 4 – 6
Inches thick.
DHAJJI DIWARI :
•The Dhajji-Diwari structures have shown
earthquake resistant features over centuries in
Kashmir and have been the most preferred mode
of construction until recent past.
•Dhajji-Diwari consists of an extensively braced
timber frame confining the masonry in the small
panels of the frame which are tightly packed to
form a wall.
• The basic elements in these buildings are the load
bearing masonry piers and infill walls.
• There are wooden tie-bands at each floor level.
The foundation consists of rubble masonry with
lime mortar whereas, mud mortar is used for the
rest of the structure.
• The infill materials are usually abode bricks
bonded with mud
mortar. The wooden bands tie the walls of the
structure with the
floors and also impart ductility to a structure
that is otherwise brittle.
• The unreinforced masonry walls have stiffness
but not strength.
HEAVY SNOW-FALLAS
DISASTER :
• The term 'snow storm' encompasses all magnitude of snow fall but is often used to describe a
blizzard. A blizzard is a large snow storm with strong winds. Blizzards can be particularly
dangerous if heavy snowfall is followed by rapid melting by higher temperatures: this can cause
extensive flooding.
WHERE ARE THE DANGERS OF
SNOW STORMS?
• Large amounts of snow can affect transport routes, crops and people. The secondary risks of
snowstorms include vehicle accidents, hypothermia, infections from frost bite and possibly fires
and carbon monoxide poisoning due to the use of alternate heat sources.
• Snow storms can form in areas with the perfect conditions for snow formation such as air
temperatures below freezing and a ground temperature of zero degrees centigrade. North
America and Canada experience around 10 blizzards a year, each affecting approximately 2.5
million people.
EFFECTS :

• Caused major flooding.

• Due to heavy snowfall the public buildings has to

shut down.

• Health Issues.

• Damage of Infrastructure.
AVALANCHE
DISASTER
• An avalanche is defined as a flow of snow downside of a mountain, though rock
slides and debris flow are also sometimes called as avalanches.
FACTORS LEADING TO
AVALANCHE
• A rapid downslope movement of snow, rocks and debris is known as Avalanche. Generally, a large
avalanche has a speed of up to 200 kmph, which results in massive destruction of forests, highways,
houses and power lines. All avalanches are caused by over burden of mass of snow. It generally
occurs when the load of upper layers of snow exceeds the bonding forces of a mass of snow.
HIMACHAL
PRADESH
( Cold & Dry Regions)

LOCATION - Northern part of India, situated in the Western

Himalayas

COUNTRY – India

AREA - 55,673 sq.

km

Regions that lie in the cold climate zone are situated at

the high altitudes. The temperatures ranges between 20
– 30 C in summers; while in winter, in rages from -3 – 8 C,
making it quite chilly.
ESSENTIAL FEATURES IN
DESIGNING OF A HOUSE
• Building will have sloping roof.
• Windows will have wooden panels.
• Timber paneled wall will be used instead of brick
or stone masonry.
• Bedroom will be on south west of the house.
• Kitchen will be on south east of the house.
• Dinning will be on the south.
• Bathroom will be on the north west of the house.
• Natural light is important in the house.
• Flooring of the house must be of timber.
• Living area should be in the north of the building.
• Utility rooms should be in the south.
• Cross ventilation is very important for healthy
living.
• Tress can be planted near windows to the block
cold air.
 DESIGN
CRITERIA
• Increase thermal resistance
• Increase thermal capacity
• Decrease air exchange rate Roof insulation, wall
insulation and
• double glazing
• Thicker walls
• Air locks / lobbies
• Reduce shading
• Utilize heat from appliances
• Trapping heat
• Orientation and shape of the building
• Uses of trees as wind barriers.
ARCHITECTUR
E
Houses (Residential)
• Double storey houses with
pitched roof, oriented towards
South to reduce heat loss.
• Linear arrangement of rooms,
connected by a balcony on all
the floors.
• Timber and stone are used widely
as both have high thermal
capacity and low conductivity.
• Inner walls thickness is 4 inch
and outer walls thickness is 9
inch.
 ARCHITECTUR
E
Temple/Monasteries
(Religious)
• Himachal Pradesh is a land
of the Gods.

• Hindu temples of many types

and Buddhist monasteries are
found in this spectacular land
of the Himalayas

• There are three styles of

temple
architecture:
Pagoda style
Shikhara
style Pahari Pagoda Bishweshwar Temple, Kullu(Shikhara
style style style)
FOUNDATION
• Stone plinth – 0.6 – 1 meters for two storey buildings. 3
meters for tower temples.
• The upper floors are made of timber planks and
timber- joints
 WALL (WOOD AND
STONE)
• Walls are constructed with alternate course of dry masonry and wood without cementing mortar.

• Laying two wooden wall beams longitudinally • Layering of wood and stone
parallel to each other with a gap in between.The including a truncate pyramid
gap is filled with rubble stone and wooden nail at shaped corner stone to protect the
the edge. wood.
ROOFING IN THE COLD AND DRY
REGION
• Gable roofs are used in hilly areas, as these roof types
are able to shed snow in the hilly areas.
• The main used material for roofing in hilly area is
timber, as it is locally available from the trees.
• Trees which are used for this purpose are cedar.
FLOORING
•In the ground level mud & cow-dung
were used for flooring above the plinth
made of random rubble masonry. The
upper floors are made of timber
planks and timber- joists

KITCHEN
•Kitchen made of
mud, placed at center
which helps in
keeping the indoor
warm.
• Balconies: Provide a good sun-space or
solarium.

•Cantilevered balcony resting on stone wall

•Wooden members supports it to provide

stability.

• Courtyard: Sunny courtyardto

perform
various activities during day time.
JAPAN AS AN EXAMPLE
 DISASTER IN JAPAN

JMA Seismic
Intensity Run-up
height:38m*

Sendai

Tokyo
Run-up
height:17m*

Epicenter

Fukushimanuclear powerstation
Run-up height:
(Japan Meteorological Agency) 20m*
 CLIMAT
• Efrom Asia in winter, and by warm moist air from pacific in
Japan is influenced by a cold airstream
summer.
• Houses, face south projecting eaves to give protection against sun, while high courtyard walls screen
the northern cold winds of winter.
WHY JAPAN IS DISASTER
PRONE COUNTRY?
• A number of factors contribute to the high incidence of natural disasters in Japan.

1. First, the country is subject to extreme climatic variations, such as seasonal rain fronts
and typhoons, as well as heavy snowfall on the Sea of Japan side of the archipelago.

2. Second, Japan's topography is rugged and there are many faults and steep inclines.

3. Third, Japan is located in the Pacific earthquake belt and is frequently struck by
earthquakes, while its complex coastline is vulnerable to tsunamis.

4. fourth, Japan is located in the circum-Pacific zone, in which almost all the volcanoes of the
world are concentrated, and has 83 active volcanoes-one-tenth of the world total.
SITUATION OF JAPAN :

EATHQUAKE
On the 11th day of March 2011, the whole world was shocked when a powerful earthquake hit Japan. The earthquake
was recorded to hit a massive magnitude 9.0 on the Richter scale on the northeastern part of the country’s main
island, Honshu. It is considered as the strongest earthquake in the history of Japan and is the fourth largest
earthquake in the history of the world.
TSUNAMI
The earthquake displaced large amounts of water and massively destructive waves hit coming from the Pacific ocean
basin with a speed 500 miles per hour, approximately measuring 33 feet high resulted in flooding many cities in the
east coastline of Japan and waves reaching as far as Taiwan, China, Russia and as well as northern Philippines
according to
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
o TORNED INFRASTRUCTURES
Buildings were destroyed mostly by the tsunami as the provincial and central stores where livelihood of the people
is dependent and as well as homes where they live, tarnished. It affected both the Japanese locals and the
country’s tourist population too.
o TRANSPORTATION :
A lot of problems regarding the destructed physical structures was
raised after the catastrophe. Many roads were destroyed therefore
hampering transportation in the area as roads take a little time to
be built for travelers and passengers. For example, airports were
also destroyed just like the Sendai Airport located in an eastern
shore.
o RADIATION
Damage to the Nuclear power plant in Fukushima resulted to
radiation contamination that made its way across the Pacific to even
as far as South America.
o GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT DECREASE
There was immediate drop of Japan’s areas of commercial activity and
it
also cause a domino effect of shortages which were felt across
the world. This includes Japan’s GDP, tourism, hospitality,
automobile industries.
ELEMENTS OF JAPANESE TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE :

WOOD
• By far the most prominent feature of traditional
Japanese buildings is the dominance of wood. This was
preferred over stone and other materials, in part
because of the ever-present risk of earthquakes. In old
Japanese houses, wood was given great respect and not
concealed by paint or other coatings; it was used in its
natural form so that the grain could be appreciated.

• In some buildings, nails have not even been used —

Japanese craftsmen developed alternative ways of
connecting parts of the house. The roof, which tends to
be thatch (older) or tile (more modern), typically has a
gentle curve and is supported by posts and lintels.
 ROOF

• The roof in a traditional Japanese structure is

made of heavy timbers placed at right angles, and the
sheer weight of it is what keeps structure in place.
Trusses were rarely used until Japanese architecture
was Westernized and even today Japanese engineers
say that the heavier the roof is the more stable the
structure
CONSTRUCTION METHOD OF
JAPANESE TRADITIONAL HOUSE :

Japanese cities have come to look like

those of Europe because of the increase
in the number of prefabricated and
ferroconcrete buildings. However, the
style of building that is best suited to the
Japanese climate and natural conditions
is probably still the traditional wooden
house, and it is certainly nicer to look at.

• HASHIRA – COLUMN/PILLAR
• FUSUMA – BRAN(MADE WITH RICE)
• TATAMI – FLOOR
• DODAI – FOUNDATION
• HIRA – FLAT(PART OF ROOF)
HOW THEY BUILD A HOUSE :
STRATEGIES FOR TSUNAMI RESISTANT BUILDING IN JAPAN :
1. Build structures with reinforced concrete instead of wood, even though wood construction is more resilient to earthquakes.
Reinforced concrete or steel-frame structures are recommended for vertical evacuation structures.
2. Mitigate resistance. Design structures to let the water flow through. Build multi-story structures, with the first floor being open (or on
stilts) or breakaway so the major force of water can move through. Rising water will do less damage if it can flow underneath the
structure. Again, this design is contrary to seismic practices, which makes this
recommendation complicated and site specific.
3. Construct deep foundations, braced at the footings. A tsunami's force can turn an otherwise solid, concrete building completely on
its side, substantive deep foundations can overcome that.
4. Design with redundancy, so that the structure can experience partial failure (e.g., a destroyed post) without progressive collapse.
5. As much as possible, leave vegetation and reefs intact. They won't stop tsunami waves, but they can act as a natural buffer and slow
them down.
6. Orient the building at an angle to the shoreline. Walls that directly face the ocean will suffer more damage.
7. Use continuous steel framing strong enough to resist hurricane-force winds.
8. Design structural connectors that can absorb stress.
WASTE TIRE PADS :
BANDS :
LINTEL BAND
• Lintel bands ties the walls
together and creates a
support for walls loaded
along weak direction from
walls loaded in strong
direction.
• This band also reduces the
unsupported height of the
walls and there by improves
their stability in the weak
direction
 JOINTS IN MASONARY WALL :

EARTHQUAKE SAFE CONSTRUCTION OF MASONRY

BUILDINGS.
T H A N K YOU