SUITABILITY OF RAT-TRAP CONSTRUCTION FOR SEISMIC AREA

Abstract

Housing like food and cloth is a basic need of a human. India is the second most populous nation of the world. With such a large population, housing is an acute problem. Low and middle - income groups find it very difficult to build their own houses. Brick masonry is cheaper as compared to R.C.C. construction for low rise buildings and is made more economical by using Rat-Trap bond construction developed by famous architect of Kerala, Mr. Lauri Baker. However, more than 50% area of our country, India, is seismically active. In the past severe earthquakes all over the world, masonry buildings have generally been damaged the most. Therefore, to check its safety in seismic areas, a one room building of size 3.5mx3.5mx3m with doors and windows (one brick thick wall) in seismic zone IV made by Rat-Trap bond is analysed by Pier method. The results have been compared with that of the conventional English bond construction of same shape and size. It is found that the stresses developed in Rat-Trap bond masonry are within permissible limit. Tensile stress developed which is critical in earthquake prone area is less in Rat-Trap bond construction as compared to that developed in English bond construction. Details of junctions are also proposed for such constructions for placing of vertical reinforcement