Performance of masonry structures during earthquake-2005 in kashmir

The Kashmir earthquake of October 8th, 2005 was one of the deadliest earthquakes according to the number of fatalities in the history of indo-Pakistan subcontinent. More than 70,000 people were killed, mainly due to collapse of masonry buildings being widely used in Kashmir and Northern Pakistan. Major causes of damages/ collapse of masonry buildings were: poor quality of mortar, undressed stones, flexible roofs not bonded to supporting walls, lateral thrust from inclined roofs, unbraced parapet and gable walls, non-anchored infilled walls, wide openings without surrounding reinforcement, heavy roofs resting on poor quality masonry walls, etc. A critical review of damages to masonry structures is presented in the paper along with measures that need to be taken in future construction. In order to minimize the losses in masonry structures in case of future seismic activities, strategies such as loss assessment are discuss, a part of which has already been taken as a research project by the authors. (author)