Expected Damage Grade Assessment of Existing Residential Buildings in the Kathmandu Valley: A Field-Based Study

Prateek Raj Pandit; Lekshmy Meenakumari Jayakumar

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85993

Expected Damage Grade Assessment of Existing Residential Buildings in the Kathmandu Valley: A Field-Based Study

Author(s)	Mr. Prateek Raj Pandit, Ms. Lekshmy Meenakumari Jayakumar
Country	India
Abstract	Nepal lies in one of the most seismically active regions of the Himalayan belt, and the building stock of the Kathmandu Valley is dominated by reinforced-concrete (RC) frame and unreinforced masonry constructions of varying engineering quality. This paper presents the outcomes of a structured seismic vulnerability assessment carried out on fifty-two (52) existing residential buildings located in the Kathmandu Valley. The assessment was performed in a tiered manner, beginning with Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) and Rapid Visual Assessment (RVA), and progressing to a Detailed Assessment (DA) where the screening findings indicated significant deficiency. The methodology adopted is consistent with the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) Seismic Vulnerability Evaluation Guideline [1] and the Seismic Retrofitting Guidelines of Buildings in Nepal [2], supplemented with provisions of NBC 105:2020 [3] and FEMA 310 [6]. The expected damage grade was evaluated against the maximum-credible Modified Mercalli / EMS-98 intensity of XII assumed for the Kathmandu Valley as the worst-case design scenario. For each building, construction year, number of stories, structural typology, column / wall sections, beam sections, observed damages, and dominant vulnerability factors were recorded, and an expected damage grade (DG1 - DG5, after EMS-98 [7]) was assigned. Of the 52 building units whose damage grades could be conclusively determined, 71.2 % were classified as DG4, 21.2 % as DG3, 5.7 % as DG5, and 1.9 % as DG2; no DG1 cases were identified. Non-engineered RCC frames and unreinforced / older masonry buildings concentrate the highest grades, while engineered RCC frames built after 2010 generally cluster at DG3. The findings demonstrate that the existing residential building stock of the valley still carries a significant seismic risk despite post-2015 awareness, and that strengthening of beam-column joints, columns and unreinforced masonry walls is the dominant retrofit need.
Keywords	seismic vulnerability, rapid visual assessment, detailed assessment, expected damage grade, EMS-98, Modified Mercalli intensity XII, reinforced concrete, unreinforced masonry, Kathmandu Valley, retrofitting
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-17
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85993

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Expected Damage Grade Assessment of Existing Residential Buildings in the Kathmandu Valley: A Field-Based Study

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