EARTHQUAKE SAFE CONSTRUCTION OF MASONRY BUILDINGS
Simplified Guideline for All New Buildings in the Seismic Zone III of India Zone III
Introduction:
As usual new construction of buildings under IAY, Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana and buildings
under various other National and State schemes get started in the month of May. The Ministry of Home
Affairs is keen that All New Buildings should be made earthquake resistant in the first instant so that we do
not add to the stock of existing unsafe buildings. Since most of the buildings are constructed using brickwork
or, solid hollow concrete blocks with flat roofs, very simple illustrated guidance is provided in the attached
brochure for incorporating the earthquake resistant features suitable for seismic zone III.
Essential Elements for Earthquake Safety1:
The essential elements required to make a building earthquake safe are as given in Figure 1. Some
additional requirements are detailed in the following paragraphs.
2
1
2
1
2 1. Lintel Band
1 2. Roof/ Floor Band
3. Vertical reinforcing bar at corner
4. Door
5. Window
6. Plinth Band
6
5
4 Figure – 1: Essential Internal
Elements in Buildings
3 for Earthquake Safety
1. GOOD CEMENT MORTAR:
The cement mortar should be used in the ratio of 1 part of cement with 6 parts of sand (1 sack of
cement mixed with 6 equal sacks of sand).
2. HORIZONTAL SEISMIC BANDS:
A seismic band consists of reinforced concrete flat runner through all external and internal
masonry walls at the following levels in the building.
a. at the plinth level of the building
b. at the levels of lintels of doors and windows
c. at the ceiling level of roofs consisting of wooden joists or, prefabricated reinforced concrete beams
or, planks. (Such band will not be necessary if the roof consists of Reinforced Concrete or,
Reinforced Brick slabs cast on the walls covering a minimum of 2/3 of the thickness of the wall.)
The dimensions of the band and the reinforcement inside depend upon the length of the walls
between the perpendicular cross walls. The table below (Table-1) shows the dimensions to be adopted for
the seismic bands and the internal reinforcement details to be provided. The reinforcement and bending
details of seismic bands are given in the Figure-2. Reinforcing bars will be of Fe 415 type [TOR or, High
Yield Strength Deformed, i.e. HYSD bars]
1
The details given here are extracted from IS: 4326-1993 Code of Practice as applicable to buildings with Brick/ Concrete
block walls and R.C. flat slab roofs. Details not given here may be seen in the Code.
30
40
1
30 40 40 30
150
75
b2 b1
b b
2 2 6@150 1 2 6@150
2
(a) 1
(b)
1
3 2 3 2
b b
(c) (d)
1 3
3
1
2
2
(e) (f)
(a) Section of the Band with 2 longitudinal steel bars 1. Longitudinal reinforcements
(b) Section of the Band with 4 longitudinal steel bars 2. Lateral Ties
(c) Structural Plan at L- type wall junction 3. Vertical reinforcement at corners
(d) Structural Plan at T- type wall junction b, b1, b2 Wall thickness
(e) 3 Dimensional view of the L - type wall junction
(f) 3 Dimensional view of the T - type wall junction
Figure-2: Reinforcement and Bending Details of Seismic Bands
Table-1: Recommended size and longitudinal steel in Seismic Bands (Zone III)
Internal Residential buildings Important Public Buildings (Schools,
length of Hospitals, Meeting Halls, Anganwadis, etc.)
wall Size of the band No. of Bars Dia (mm) Size of the band No. of Bars Dia (mm)
5 m or, less 10 cm x wall width 2 8 10 cm x wall width 2 8
6m 10 cm x wall width 2 8 10 cm x wall width 2 10
7m 15 cm x wall width 2 10 15 cm x wall width 2 12
8m 15 cm x wall width 2 12 15 cm x wall width 4 10
3. VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT IN THE BRICK WALLS:
For earthquake safety in seismic zone III reinforcing bars have to be embedded in brick masonry at
the corners of all the rooms and the side of the door openings. Window openings larger than 60 cm in
width will also need such reinforcing bars (Figure – 4). The diameter of the bar depends upon the
number of storeys in the building. The recommendations are given in Table-2.
Providing the vertical bars in the brickwork and concrete blocks requires special techniques which
could be easily learnt by the supervising engineers and masons will need to be trained.
