-After the September 18, 2011 Earthquake
The 18th September 2011 earthquake with the epicenter in Sikkim and recorded magnitude of 6.9 damaged several buildings in Bhutan. The Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites(DCHS) office under the Department of Culture immediately deputed a team to the affected areas of Haa and Paro Dzongkhags, where this earthquake had damaged maximum number of buildings. The team documented the damages caused by the earthquake to the rammed earth houses so as to understand the various types of damages that had occurred on different buildings located at a particular area.
The data collected during this survey is expected to provide an overview of the performance of rammed earth houses during an earthquake. This data will also be utilized for undertaking structural analysis of traditional construction techniques in Bhutan, which are extensively, used for the construction of rural houses and heritage buildings.
– Published by Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites