Initial Geological and Engineering Assesment of the 2015 Nepal, Gorkha M7.8 Earthquake and Its Societal Aftermath

Abstract eng:
An Mw 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 at 11:56 local time. The shock was felt throughout Nepal and in India, Bangladesh and Tibet. Along with its largest Mw 7.3 aftershock on May 12, it severely affected 14 Nepal districts resulting in 8891 fatalities, 22303 injuries, millions of homeless, earthquake environmental effects (EEE), damage on buildings and infrastructures and great economic losses. Based on field reconnaissance in the affected area immediately after the main shock, primary EEE were not detected, while secondary EEE included slope movements, liquefaction, ground cracks and hydrological anomalies especially in the Kathmandu valley suggesting a combination of directivity and deep basin effects. Masonry and cultural heritage structures suffered most damage due to inadequate construction and poor maintenance. In case of sounder construction, such buildings remained intact. Most of reinforced concrete buildings weathered the earthquake without damage despite of possessing high seismic vulnerability in most cases. The earthquake response of buildings was discontinuously nonlinear. It was observed that either partial or total collapse or no horizontal motion, no cracks, no breaking of glass window panels occurred. This fact is a key characteristic of the local domination of vertical excitation and the respective response of structures.

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