seismic construction handbook for Tearfund to support their redevelopment work in Nepal, completed with Engineering Ministries International in 2015

completed with a civil engineer (project lead) and a structural engineer

The training guide documents recommended construction techniques to improve the seismic resistance of traditional stone masonry homes in Nepal. I was responsible for communicating the details in a procedural, non-technical format for local builders and homeowners. The material was developed based on extensive research of the Nepal Building Code, guides to stone masonry construction, and the regular building methods and materials in the Makwanpur region.

The guide communicates six key elements that are inportant in building more siesmic resistant homes. They are: a strong foundation, horizontal tensile bands of either steel and concrete or wood, vertical ties of either steel or wood, junction and through stones to hold the withes together, tying joists and rafters to the walls, and building wood gables instead of stone.