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EXPERIENCES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NEPAL NATIONAL BUILDING CODE IN NEPAL

A case of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City

Mr. Kishore Thapa, Director GeneralGovernment of Nepal

Ministry of Physical Planning and WorksDepartment of Urban Development and Building Construction

Babarmahal, Kathmandu, NEPAL

Contents• Introduction• Nepal National Building Code• Legal provisions• Public dissemination• Experiences from Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City.

– Institutional setup for implementing NBC – Activities of Earthquake Safety Section – Building Permit process to implement NBC– Problems faced in implementing NBC

• Challenges ahead for DUDBC to implement NBC• Conclusion

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Introduction

• NEPAL– Population: 23.1 million (CBS, census of 2001) – Urban population:3.2 million (i.e. 14%)– Popn growth rate:2.27%– Urban Popn growth rate: 6.67%

• High concentration of population and high density, unplanned urban areas, poor housing conditions >>>High possibility of loss of man and material in case of natural disaster like earthquake.

Continental Drift Indian Plate to Eurasian Plate

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SEISMIC HAZARD OF NEPAL

Map courtesy: National Seismological Centre, Department of

Mines and Geology, Lainchour, Kathmandou, Nepal

Area of seismic gap

Seismic Hazard of Nepal

Map courtesy: National Seismological Centre, Department of Mines and Geology, Lainchour, Kathmandou, Nepal

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Introduction• More than 90% buildings - by individual people and only 5%

buildings - with proper engineering design and supervision.• Few building units with proper building norms and standards.• 1934 Earthquake >>8.5 Richter scale >>estimated 207,000

building affected

• 1988 Earthquake >>6.7 Richter Scale >>600 deaths and 20,000 buildings collapsed and damaged

• Engineers realized the need for changes and improvement in building construction and design methods practiced then in Nepal.

Nepal National Building Code

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Nepal National Building Code• 1988 Earthquake >>6.7 Richter Scale >>600 deaths and 20,000

buildings collapsed and damaged• Drew attention of the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Physical

Planning and Works to the need for changes and improvement in building construction and design methods practiced then in Nepal.

• Nepal National Building Code was prepared with assistance from UNDP and UNCHS (Habitat) by Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) in 1993

• A consortium of following International Consultant were involve in the project– BECA WORLEY INTERNATIONAL, NEW ZEALAND– GOLDER ASSOCIATED, CANADA– URBAN REGIONAL RESERCH, USA

Nepal National Building Code

• The four different level of building construction depending upon the sophistication of design and construction– International state-of-art– Professionally engineered structures– Buildings of restricted size designed with simple

rules-of-thumb– Guidelines for remote rural buildings where

control is impractical

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Published Codes• International State of Art1. NBC 000: Requirements of State of the Art

Design• Professionally Engineered Buildings2. NBC 101: Materials Specifications3. NBC 102: Unit Weight of Materials4. NBC 103: Occupancy Load5. NBC 104: Wind Load6. NBC 105: Seismic Design of Buildings In

Nepal7. NBC 106: Snow Load8. NBC 107: Fire Safety9. NBC 108: Site Consideration 10. NBC 109: Masonry: Un-reinforced11. NBC 110: Plain & Reinforced Concrete 12. NBC 111: Steel 13. NBC 112: Timber14. NBC 113: Aluminum 15. NBC 114: Construction Safety16. NBC 206: Architectural Design Requirements 17. NBC 207: Electrical Design Requirements18. NBC 208: Sanitary and Plumbing Design

Requirements

• Buildings Restricted Size –designed to Mandatory Rules of Thumb (MRT)

19. NBC 201: Mandatory Rules of Thumb: Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Masonry Infill

20. NBC 202: Mandatory Rules of Thumb: Load Bearing Masonry

21. NBC 205: Mandatory Rules of Thumb Reinforced Concrete Buildings without Masonry Infill

• Guidelines for Remote Rural Buildings (Low Strength Masonry / Earthen Buildings)

22. NBC 203: Guidelines for Earthquake Resistant Building Construction: Low Strength Masonry.

23. NBC 204: Guidelines for Earthquake Resistant Building Construction: Earthen Buildings.

Revision of codes• Government of Nepal, DUDBC made revision

and updated the codes in 2003

• In the existing 20 codes 3 more volumes were added. They are:

– NBC 206: Architectural Design Requirements – NBC 207: Electrical Design Requirements– NBC 208: Sanitary and Plumbing Design

Requirements

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Legal Provisions• Formally approved by the Government of Nepal in

the year 2003.

• Implemented as "Building Act :1998 in all public and private building throughout the country after it was activated by the cabinet decision.

• Government buildings supervised by DUDBC.

• Private Buildings: initiatives by Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City.

Nepal National Building CodeNepal National Building Code is available in CD as well as in website

Nepal National Building Code is in 23 Volumes

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"Earthquake Safety Day" celebration every year

Shake Table Demonstration : Importance of Earthquake Resistance Building Construction .

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Hoarding Board

Training for Engineers and Architect about NBC and Earthquake Safety Design of Buildings

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Training for Engineers and Architect about NBC and Earthquake Safety Design of Buildings

Training on Earthquake Resistance Design of Buildings and Nepal National Building Codefor Overseers and Draftspersons

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Training for Masons

Experiences from Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City

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Background of NBC Implementation

• LSMC has implemented NBC in Building Permit Process since January 16, 2003

• It was announced on the occasion of Earthquake Safety Day 2003 in a memorial program of 1934’s Earthquake victims.

• LSMC is the pioneer municipality in Nepal to implement NBC.

At the beginning Implementation of NBC was carried out by technical Cell (Group of Municipal Engineers & Engineers from DUDBC, NSET, NESF,NEA) for 6 months.

“ Earthquake Safety Section” was established parallel to Building Permit Section on 27th November 2003 (BS 2060/8/12) specially for Effective Implementation of NBC

EQ Section is working together with “Building Permit Section” for implementation of NBC since its

establishment.

Background of NBC Implementation

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Municipal Board

Eq. Safety Committee

Eq. Engg. Sub-Committee

Technical Cell Building Permit Section

Design registration(application)

No objection Permit process

Municipal Organization Structure for NBC Implementation (past)

Municipal Board

Eq. Safety Committee

Urban Development Division

Earthquake Safety Section Building Permit Section

Design registration(application)

No objection Permit process

Municipal Organization Structure for NBC Implementation (present)

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Activities of Earthquake Safety Section

• Main Section to check /verify structural designs /drawings as per NBC-2060

• Regular field monitoring/checking of building construction• Playing advisory role for house owners & contractors by giving

suggestions on earthquake safe technologies in constructions• Playing key role for raising awareness towards earthquake risk &

preparedness to city dwellers• Conduction of training programs for masons of Lalitpur on

earthquake resistant construction of buildings

• Preparation of New “Application form with check list as per NBC”

• Preparation of “Guidelines for Building Permit Process as per NBC”

• Preparation of “Guidelines for construction of Earthquake safe buildings”

• Preparation of booklet on “Earthquake Risk in Nepal & need of Earthquake Preparedness”

• Preparation of brochure “ Brief Information on Earthquake safe construction Techniques ”

Publications by Earthquake Safety Section

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GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF EARTHQUAKE SAFE BUILDINGS

APPLICTION FORMS FOR BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS AS PER NBC-2060

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BROCHURE FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFE CONSTRUCTIONTECHNIQUES

Booklet on “Earthquake Risk in Nepal & Need of Earthquake Preparedness”

General Guidelines forNBC Application

Permanent No objection Certificate

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Application By Owner

Checking as per Bylaws

Checking as per NBC

Registration/Tax pay

Permit Process/ Notice/Field verification

Temporary permit Up to plinth Level

OK

Building Permit Process as per NBC

First Stage

Bldg. permit Section

Eq. Safety Section

OK

Application for Permanent Building Permit for

Super Structure

Field checking of constructionUp to plinth level

Field Reports by technicians/Eq. section as per NBC

Field Reports by technicians/Bldg. section as per Bylaws

Permanent Building Permit/No objection Certificate

Bldg. permit Section & Eq. Safety Section jointly

OK

OK

Building Permit Process as per NBC

Second Stage/Field Monitoring

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Application forBuilding completion

Certificate

Field checking of construction

Field Reports by technicianAs per Bylaws

Issue Completion Certificate

OK

Building Permit Process as per NBC

Third Stage/Building Completion

Bldg. permit Section

Technical Problems

• Lack of professional ethics among designers

• Lack of knowledge among masons and contractors on earthquake resistant building construction technologies

• Construction works without technical supervision

• Adding stories over existing old structures

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• Lack of awareness among general public about earthquake safety measures in building construction.

•Negligence and unwillingness of house owners to apply earthquake resistant technologies due to perceived additional costs in construction.

•People being unaware of the need of quality in constructions and in technical supervisions.

•Because of unfair competition between local masons and contractors, they work in low costs by not following NBC

•No strong and effective field monitoring and inspection mechanism

Social/ Practical Problems:

Challenges ahead for DUDBC to implement NBC

• Institutionalizing the implementation of NBC at the local level in all municipalities and also in the villages

• Producing trained manpower to implement NBC (at technical level engineers, architects and sub-engineers; at implementing level masons, contractors etc)

• Raise awareness among general people about the risks of earthquake and possible mitigating measures.

• Devising proper implementing and monitoring

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Expectation from ABCD project

• Technical support for upgrading the existing building code.

• Training of engineers and masons on a larger scale.

• Demonstration projects in all the four development regions of Nepal.

• Development of curricula in universities.• Research in stone masonry construction.

Conclusion• "Prevention is better than cure"

• NBC: a precautionary measure to reduce the hazards due to earthquake

• LSMC has been successfully implementing NBC through its building permit process

• Yet to see the performance of NBC followed buildings, but these buildings are expected to withstand earthquakes better than those which have not followed NBC

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Thank You