Influence of Traditional Building Practices in Seismic Vulnerability of Bhutanese Vernacular Rammed Earth Architecture

Rammed earth architecture is still widespread and alive in Bhutan, especially in rural villages, where dwellings are built by the local community. The country recently suffered two intense earthquakes that put traditional architecture at risk. Rammed earth building techniques show high seismic vulnerability by nature, whose degree strongly depends on good building practices. Within the framework of SATREPS, a research project led by Nagoya University in collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Politecnico di Torino, this article aims to investigate the role of local building practice in fostering the most frequently occurring seismic failure mechanisms in unreinforced masonry such as rammed earth. Those mechanisms have been cross-checked with damage-assessment-related studies carried out by the Bhutanese government. Traditional building practices, potential weaknesses, and the influence on seismic failure mechanisms have been analyzed through definite parameters. Outcomes have been verified through a full-scale static test conducted on a rammed earth mock-up building.