Lessons Learned from Performance of Buildings During the September 18, 2011 Earthquake in Nepal

The September 18, 2011 earthquake that occurred near the Nepal-Sikkim border had a moment magnitude (Mw) of 6.9. This shallow-focus earthquake lasted for about 30-40 seconds and affected several areas of Nepal, India, China, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. This paper presents lessons learned from the investigation of the performance of buildings in the earthquake affected areas in Nepal. Many non-engineered stone masonry, brick masonry, and reinforced concrete buildings suffered heavy damage, while engineered reinforced concrete buildings and buildings constructed with indigenous technology locally known as Centibera buildings, exhibited minor or no damage.