Field assessment reveals moderate seismic vulnerability across reinforced concrete buildings, highlighting rapid visual screening as an effective tool for earthquake risk evaluation.
Key Points
To evaluate the seismic vulnerability and risk levels of reinforced concrete frame buildings using an adapted Rapid Visual Screening methodology.
Surveyed 25 reinforced concrete frame buildings in Duwakot Besi, Nepal, using a field-based Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method adapted from FEMA P-154.
Evaluated six visible structural vulnerability indicators: soft storey, floating columns, plan irregularity, pounding potential, building height (≥5 storeys), and construction quality to calculate a Final Structural Security Score (SF).
Identified soft storey as the most common vulnerability factor (72% of buildings), followed by plan irregularity (48%) and poor construction quality (44%).
Categorized 80% of surveyed buildings as medium risk and 20% as low risk, with 0% classified as high risk.