Workshop on “Earthquake Resistant Practices”

Overview

A week-long workshop which commenced on 22nd July was held at IIT Kanpur by NICEE for students of architecture. The workshop’s main objective was to increase students’ awareness of earthquake safety issues and to provide them with a conceptual understanding of earthquake-resistant design. Four students from the fourth year of Pillai College of Architecture were selected to be part of this.

Students were encouraged to internalize earthquake-resistant approaches as essential elements of their design decision-making through lectures and practical studio sessions centered on a design assignment. Experts in the fields of architecture and structural engineering made up the resource faculty for the workshop, which aimed to closely resemble real-life architectural practice. Each chosen participant received a copy of the NICEE publication “Earthquake-Resistant Confined Masonry Construction,” written by Svetlana Brzev and Keya Mitra, prior to the training. Before attending the session, it was suggested to the attendees that they read the book.

Program

The first two days consisted of various informative lectures. by Dr. Hari Kumar, Dr. Vasudha Gokhale, and Dr. Keya Mitra. They presented the subjects concerning earthquakes and their effects across the spectrum. Each day ended with a fun quiz. Students got the opportunity to visit the civil engineering that dealt with earthquake management. A design problem was introduced later on the third day.

The usage of Confined Masonry in the construction of the IIT Gandhinagar Hostel was also discussed in detail by Pune-based practicing architect Ar. Vikram Hundekar. Famous experts including Dr. Shailesh Agarwal, Executive Director of BMTPC in New Delhi, spoke about the “Vulnerability Atlas of India,” and Dr. Hari Kumar from Geo Hazards in New Delhi gave a presentation on several earthquake-related topics.

Guest Speakers

Other prominent academicians from universities across the country served as resource people for the workshop, including Prof. Keya Mitra from IIEST Shibpur, Prof. Vasudha Gokhale Prof. Sujata Mehta, and Prof. Meera Shirolkar from Dr. B.N. College of Architecture for Women in Pune, Prof. Atanu Dutta from Jorhat Engineering College, Prof. Ruchira Das from Women’s Polytechnic Chandannagar, Prof. Bhavana Vimawala along with Nehal Desai from Sarvajanik University in Surat.

Design Problem

The design challenge for the workshop was to develop a co-working office complex in Guwahati, the largest city in the state of Assam and a significant urban center in northeastern India. The National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) suggested using this location as a trade center. The aim for the participating students, divided into thirty groups of two students each from various institutions, was to provide a design proposal that struck a balance between use, structural integrity, and aesthetics. Innovative design strategies were welcomed, but the main goal was to evaluate how well they understood earthquake-resistant architectural principles and how to apply them to a real-world design project.

Evaluation

The proposals designed by the participants were judged by a jury panel made up of professionals including Ar. Balbir Varma from New Delhi, Ar. Vikram Hundekar from Pune, Prof. Meenu Varshney from NIT Jaipur, Prof. Mayank Varshney from VIT Jaipur, and Prof. Vaibhav Singhal from IIT Patna. The Jury Board initially picked six designs that successfully incorporated earthquake-resistant measures without sacrificing other essential factors like functionality and environment.

The jury was specifically looking for a thorough understanding of structural systems that could endure seismic loads.

And to everyone’s joy, two students from Pillai College of Architecture namely, Purva Lade and Vidula Ghodekar in collaboration with Nimit Kartik Makwana, Inst. of Design Planning and Technology, Surat bagged the second prize here.