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chrisnixon gravatar image

Some of the best available technology and experts in this field of seismic enhancement in non engineered mud and stone structures will be found locally at NSET-Nepal, National Society for Earthquake Technology. These people lead the capacity built after the Pakistan Earthquake (in association with UN Habitat). They are very experienced and practical as well as local. There are also several good local codes of practice. If you cannot locate the English versions drop me an email at c.nixon@online.com.kh and I try to find in my records. I suggest stick with the local technology and people. You could look at some of the excellent training material that they produced for the Pakistan earthquake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the majority of rural structures had mud mortar ... including introducing ladders and corner strengthening in mud joints. These are in the codes also. I strongly suggest do not get involved in structures subject to seismic effects unless you have some basic seismic engineering knowledge of the forces, modalities, resistance mechanisms plus the risks and constraints and the limitations of what you might achieve .. you could otherwise be building death-traps (we have seen in other locations) by giving people inappropriate confidence in the level of resistance you can engineer in these structures ... it is limited, useful but should not be overestimated. Chris N