World Housing Encyclopedia

A Resource on Construction in Earthquake Regions

an initiative of
Earthquake Engineering Research Institue (EERI) and
International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE)

HOUSING REPORT
Traditional Naga Type House

Report# 147

Last Updated

Country India

Author(s) Amir Ali Khan,

Reviewers Gayatri Kharel, Andrew W. Charleson,

Important

This encyclopedia contains information contributed by various earthquake engineering

professionals around the world. All opinions, findings, conclusions & recommendations expressed
herein are those of the various participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, the International Association for Earthquake
Engineering, the Engineering Information Foundation, John A, Martin & Associates, Inc. or the
participant’s organizations.

General Information

Building Type: Traditional Naga Type House

Country: India

Author(s): Amir Ali Khan

Last Updated:

Buildings of this construction type can be found in

northeastern parts of India covering the states of Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The different tribes of these
states have unique life-styles and habitats. However, their
housing type falls within this category with slight changes
in their appearance attributed to individual tribal identities.
At national level about 11.4% of hosing stock consists of
this type of houses (Vulnerability Atlas of India, 2006). In
this category of houses the wall material comprises
Regions Where Found:
bamboo, thatch and grass etc. with a light weight roof of
similar material but also mud, plastic, polythene, GI metal,
and asbestos sheet. This type of housing construction is
commonly found in both rural and urban areas. Although
more confined to rural areas a significant percentage of this
type of housing is also found in towns of the region.
However, in the last two decades a decrease of these
traditional houses in urban areas of the region has
occurred. Very limited numbers of houses are in urban
areas (towns).

The housing type is most common throughout the

Northeast India which lies in the most severe seismic zone
of the country (Zone V - corresponding to MSK IX). Majority
of this type of houses are used for residential purposes.
Typically these houses are built with light weight locally
available material like bamboo, wooden planks, thatch etc.
These housing types have traditional system of
bamboo/wooden posts. Bamboo posts are inserted into the
ground to actas compression members and are tied with
Summary:
horizontal bamboo/wooden girders with the help of bamboo
ropes (cane) to give a proper shape and framing action.
However, there is no protection of bamboo/wooden posts
against decaying/termites or any other natural cause. The
performance of these houses during the past earthquakes
is unknown. However, during the discussions with local
 people about the performance of these houses in the past
major earthquakes, it was noted that the majority of houses
survived.

Length of time practiced: More than 200 years

Still Practiced: Yes

In practice as of:

Building Occupancy: Single dwelling

Typical number of stories: 1

Terrain-Flat: Typically

Terrain-Sloped: Typically

Comments:

Features

Rectangular, solidCurved, solid (e.g. circular, elliptical,

Plan Shape
ovoid)

Additional comments on plan Most of these buildings are rectangular in shape. A few
shape tribes build in circular shapes as well.

Typical plan length (meters) 10-15

Typical plan width (meters) 4-5

Typical story height (meters) 41702

Wooden structure: Load-bearing Timber Frame: Walls with

Type of Structural System
bamboo/reed mesh and post (Wattle and Daub)

The vertical load-resisting system is timber frame. Structure

provides a continuous load path. Load is transferred
through wooden/bamboo beams and columns/ posts
embedded into the ground. The lateral load-resisting
Additional comments on system is timber frame. Roof truss/bracing; long wooden
structural system pieces / bamboo are used as beams and compression
members. They are tied well with the help of bamboo
rope/cane. Lateral forces are resisted by cantilever action
of the embedded posts and the bracing effect of diagonal
bracing members where they are provided.

Gravity load-bearing & lateral

Generally these are very light weight structures.
load-resisting systems

Typical wall densities in

0-1%
 0-1%
direction 1

Typical wall densities in

0-1%
direction 2

The typical structural wall density is none. Bracing is not

Additional comments on
achieved by walls but by the timber posts and diagonal
typical wall densities
timber bracing where provided.

This housing type has very limited openings. There is only

one entrance. Some of the tribes have a rear or side exit as
well in their houses. Generally, there is no window and
Wall Openings
there is no provision for ventilation, making the house very
dark inside. A typical house has about 2-5% openings in
the surface area of its walls.

Is it typical for buildings of this

type to have common walls Yes
with adjacent buildings?

In recent times some changes are taking place in term of 1.

Modifications of buildings Provision of back courtyards 2. Roofing material changing
from thatch to corrugated galvanized Iron (CGI) sheets.

Shallow Foundation: Wall or column embedded in soil,

Type of Foundation
without footingShallow Foundation: No foundation

Additional comments on Bamboo posts are inserted into the ground. Generally, the
foundation depth is 1 meter.

Type of Floor System Other floor system

There is no suspended flooring. Ground floor is simple

earthen floor with mud plaster in some cases. At times the
Additional comments on floor
floor of the house is raised slightly. This safeguards against
system
flooding and dampness during the rainy season. Bamboo
matting is used to cover the mud floors.

Type of Roof System Roof system, other

Thatched roof supported on wood purlins; Wood planks or

Additional comments on roof beams supporting natural stones slates; Wood planks or
system beams that support slate, metal, asbestos-cement or plastic
corrugated sheets or tiles

When separated from adjacent buildings, the typical

Additional comments section 2 distance from a neighboring building is 3-4 (minimum)
meters.
Plan of typical Naga House

Building Materials and Construction Process

Description of Building Materials

Structural Element Building Material (s) Comment (s)

Wall/Frame Bamboo, Wooden logs, Bamboo wall matting is mud-

bamboo mat plastered for durability

Foundations No foundation. Poles are just

embedded in the ground.

Floors Bamboo roof framing with No suspended floor

thatch

Roof Bamboo roof framing with

thatch

Other

Design Process

Who is involved with the

BuilderOwner
design process?

Roles of those involved in the No role is played by professionals such as

design process architects/engineers.

Expertise of those involved in

the design process

Construction Process

Who typically builds this

Builder
construction type?
 Roles of those involved in the
building process

The entire construction takes place under the master

builder who has slightly more expertise in comparison to
others in the village. This man has expertise in erecting
Expertise of those involved in wooden frames/trusses. He develops his expertise by
building process assisting in the construction of a large number of houses.
Over a period of time, due to his experience, he starts
working as a master builder. No role is played by
professionals such as architects/engineers.

Construction of this type of house generally takes place in

the dry season / winters. Sourcing of construction materials
like thatch/timber/bamboo are collected during winters only.
Bamboo/wooden posts are erected and then beams/logs
are connected and rafters placed and tied up. The wider
Construction process and community participates in the construction of this type of
phasing house. Indigenous/traditional tools are used in the
construction. Generally nails or other steel materials are not
used for making connections between various members.
The construction of this type of housing takes place in a
single phase. Typically, the building is originally not
designed for its final constructed size.

Construction issues

Building Codes and Standards

Is this construction type

Yes
address by codes/standards?

National Building Code of India Other codes are referred to

in the National Building Code of India Part 6 (Structural
Design; Section 3) Timber and Bamboo; 3B Bamboo are
as following: IS 6874:1973 -Methods of test of round
Applicable codes or standards
bamboo IS 8242:1976 - Methods of test of split bamboo IS
9096:1979 - Code of practice for preservation of bamboo
for structural purposes IS 13958:1994 - Specification for
bamboo mat board for general purposes.

Process for building code There is no strict enforcement of building codes in the
enforcement construction of this house type.

Building Permits and Development Control Rules

Are building permits required? No

Is this typically informal

Yes
construction?
 Is this construction typically
authorized as per development Yes
control rules?

Additional comments on This type of construction is a non-engineered, and

building permits and authorized as per development control rules. Building
development control rules permits are not required to build this housing type.

Building Maintenance and Condition

Typical problems associated

with this type of construction

Who typically maintains

Owner(s)
buildings of this type?

Typically, the building of this housing type is maintained by

Owner(s). The maintenance of this type of house is done in
Additional comments on phases in terms of replacing the thin layered mud plaster
on the walls every 2-3 years, replacing of walling mat every
maintenance and building
4-5 years and replacing the roofing thatch every 5-6 years.
condition
Roof and wall material are generally replaced 3-4 times
during the life span of the structure. The floor mud
plastering is done every week.

Construction Economics

The unit cost varies from owner to owner. Usually it ranges

Unit construction cost
between Rs. 600-700 (US$ 15-20) per square meter.

During the construction of the house, 20-25 people from the

village/community come and help the owner in the
construction process. Usually, they finish the task by the
Labor requirements evening. If some work is leftover, few of them return the
next day and finish it. The owner of the house serves food
to the members of the community. There is no system of
paying the wages for the labour.

Additional comments section 3

Timber posts are embedded directly into the Flooring system used in the housing type
ground

Understructure used in this type of house

Connection details in the roof

understructure
Flooring System Used

Socio-Economic Issues

Most of the family members go to work during daytime.

Those that stay back at home finish household chores
Patterns of occupancy outside the house in the sun. Adult children in every family
sleep (at night) at a community hostel/ dormitory made for
this purpose.

Number of inhabitants in a
typical building of this
<5
construction type during the
day

Number of inhabitants in a
typical building of this
5-10
construction type during the
evening/night

Additional comments on
number of inhabitants

Economic level of inhabitants Very low-income class (very poor)

A middle-income family in the village earns in the range of

about Rs. 30,000 to 40,000 annually. However, it is very
Additional comments on
difficult to calculate the actual income of a household.
economic level of inhabitants
Every household possesses other means of income with
cattle, harvesting of paddy etc.

Typical Source of Financing Owner financedPersonal savings

It is community-based house construction. Construction

materials like bamboo, thatch etc. are collected by the
Additional comments on
individual from relatives and friends and from the jungle.
financing
 financing
The construction of the house involves community
participation.

Type of Ownership Own outright

Land for construction of house belongs to the

Additional comments on village/community. Entire land is divided into community
ownership and individual spaces, where individuals can
build/construct their house.

Is earthquake insurance for

this construction type typically No
available?

What does earthquake

insurance typically cover/cost

Are premium discounts or

higher coverages available for
seismically strengthened
No
buildings or new buildings
built to incorporate seismically
resistant features?

Additional comments on
premium discounts

buildings or new buildings incorporating seismically

Additional comments section 4 resilient features, an insurance premium discount or more
complete coverage is unavailable. NA.

Earthquakes

Past Earthquakes in the country which affected buildings of this type

Year Earthquake Epicenter

Past Earthquakes

The entire northeastern region of India is highly prone to

earthquakes. This region lies under zone V, corresponding
 Damage patterns observed in to MSK IX+, according to the seismic hazard map of India
(IS:1893-2002). A large number of earthquakes have taken
past earthquakes for this
place in the region, including the two M8+ earthquakes in
construction type
1950 &1897. During the discussions with the local people it
was learned that there was no damage to this type of
structure during past earthquakes.

Additional comments on No serious damage is reported in such houses in the

earthquake damage patterns recent past

Structural and Architectural Features for Seismic Resistance

The main reference publication used in developing the statements used in this table is FEMA 310
“Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Buildings-A Pre-standard”, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Washington, D.C., 1998.

The total width of door and window openings in a wall is: For brick masonry construction in cement
mortar : less than ½ of the distance between the adjacent cross walls; For adobe masonry, stone
masonry and brick masonry in mud mortar: less than 1/3 of the distance between the adjacent cross
walls; For precast concrete wall structures: less than 3/4 of the length of a perimeter wall.
Structural/Architectural
Feature Statement Seismic Resistance

Lateral load path The structure contains a TRUE

complete load path for
seismic force effects from
any horizontal direction that
serves to transfer inertial
forces from the building to
the foundation.

Building Configuration-Vertical The building is regular with TRUE

regards to the elevation.
(Specify in 5.4.1)

Building Configuration- The building is regular with TRUE

Horizontal regards to the plan. (Specify
in 5.4.2)

Roof Construction The roof diaphragm is TRUE

considered to be rigid and it
is expected that the roof
structure will maintain its
integrity, i.e. shape and form,
during an earthquake of
intensity expected in this
area.

Floor Construction The floor diaphragm(s) are N/A

considered to be rigid and it
is expected that the floor
structure(s) will maintain its
 integrity during an
earthquake of intensity
expected in this area.

Foundation Performance There is no evidence of N/A

excessive foundation
movement (e.g. settlement)
that would affect the integrity
or performance of the
structure in an earthquake.

Wall and Frame Structures- The number of lines of walls N/A

Redundancy or frames in each principal
direction is greater than or
equal to 2.

Wall Proportions Height-to-thickness ratio of N/A

the shear walls at each floor
level is: Less than 25
(concrete walls); Less than
30 (reinforced masonry
walls); Less than 13
(unreinforced masonry
walls);

Foundation-Wall Connection Vertical load-bearing FALSE

elements (columns, walls)
are attached to the
foundations; concrete
columns and walls are
doweled into the foundation.

Wall-Roof Connections Exterior walls are anchored FALSE

for out-of-plane seismic
effects at each diaphragm
level with metal anchors or
straps.

Wall Openings N/A

Quality of Building Materials Quality of building materials N/A

is considered to be adequate
per the requirements of
national codes and
standards (an estimate).

Quality of Workmanship Quality of workmanship N/A

(based on visual inspection
of a few typical buildings) is
considered to be good (per
local construction
standards).
 Maintenance Buildings of this type are FALSE
generally well maintained
and there are no visible
signs of deterioration of
building elements (concrete,
steel, timber).

Building Irregularities

?Roofing framing is tied together w ith bamboo ropes

(cane). ?There is not much maintenance done to these
Additional comments on
houses. Average life of a house is 10-15 years, after w hich
structural and architectural
the old house is abandoned due to deterioration of the
features for seismic resistance
material used. How ever, during the life span of houses, w
alling and roofing material (thatch) is replaced 3-4 times.

Vertical irregularities typically

Other
found in this construction type

Horizontal irregularities
typically found in this Other
construction type

Seismic deficiency in walls

Earthquake-resilient features
Very light material - bamboo mat covered with mud plaster
in walls

No foundation for columns Rope used for the connections

Seismic deficiency in frames
betw een timber members may fail

Proper load transfer path available w here there are

Earthquake-resilient features
diagonal bracing members w ithin the w all framing. Joints
in frame
made of rope (cane)

Seismic deficiency in roof and Light weight material is used to cover the roof framing No
floors suspended flooring.

Earthquake resilient features Proper frame when bracing elements are provided to resist
in roof and floors lateral forces

Seismic deficiency in
foundation

Earthquake-resilient features
in foundation

Seismic Vulnerability Rating

For information about how seismic vulnerability ratings were selected see the Seismic Vulnerability
Guidelines
 High Medium Low
vulnerability vulnerability vulnerability

A B C D E F

Seismic vulnerability class |- o -|

Retrofit Information

Description of Seismic Strengthening Provisions

Structural Deficiency Seismic Strengthening

Insufficient wall bracing Corner stiffening through diagonal bamboo

bracing members

Hanging storage loft Instead convert it into a self-supported platform

Hanging items for storage purposes Provide storage on a wooden platform supported
by its own posts

Fire Resistance Use fire retardents and increase general

awareness

Decaying of bamboo at ground level Proper treatment against rodents and moisture

Strengthening of New Construction : Foundation- Embed

posts into a proper concrete foundation Post earthquake
Additional comments on Fire- Improve fire resistance of the materials/ use of cgi
sheets for roofing purpose Use of cane for joints- Use nails
seismic strengthening
to achieve stronger joints Hanging storage loft- Provision of
provisions
a proper platform that is braced over the hearth Decaying of
bamboo at ground level- Proper treatment against rodents
and moisture

Has seismic strengthening

described in the above table No
been performed?

Was the work done as a

mitigation effort on an
undamaged building or as a N/A
repair following earthquake
damages?

Was the construction

inspected in the same manner N/A
as new construction?

Who performed the

 construction: a contractor or
N/A
owner/user? Was an architect
or engineer involved?

What has been the

performance of retrofitted
N/A
buildings of this type in
subsequent earthquakes?

Additional comments section 6

References

Vulnerability Atlas of India A.S. Arya et. al. BMTPC 2006

National Building Code of India BIS, Bureau of Indian Standard 2005

Authors

Name Title Affiliation Location Email

Amir Ali Assistant Geo Hazard 5B Indra [email protected]

Khan Professor Group, National Prastha
Institute of Eatate, IIPA
Disaster Campus,
Management Ring Road,
New Delhi
110002,
INDIA

Reviewers

Name Title Affiliation Location Email

Gayatri Kalimpong [email protected]

Kharel 734301,
INDIA

Andrew Associate School of Wellington [email protected]

W. Professor Architecture, Victoria 6001,
Charleson University of NEW
Wellington ZEALAND