Confined Masonry Building Undamaged in the Nepal Earthquake

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A two-storey confined masonry hostel with a 180 m2 footprint was exposed to the April 25, 2015 Nepal earthquake (M 7.8) and did not suffer any damage. The hostel is located at Bhandar Dhik (close to Pokhara), approximately 67 km away from the epicentre. The hostel is a part of a school with 900 blind and visually impaired students. Construction was completed in 2012. The project was the first application of confined masonry technology for the NGO Smart Shelter Foundation (www.smartshelterfoundation.org) that designed and constructed the building. Pro bono seismic design advice was provided by members of the Confined Masonry Network.