Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Two Nepalese Rana Palaces

The Rana dynasty ruled Nepal from 1846 to 1951 and was responsible for the construction of a number of private and government Neoclassical- or Baroque-style palaces in Kathmandu and other parts of the country. Following the 2015 Gorkha (Nepal) earthquake, detailed damage assessments of these buildings were undertaken by local and international teams. Two case study buildings that suffered moderate structural damage are presented herein, the Kaiser Mahal Palace and the Ananda Niketan Palace. Kaiser Mahal was assessed prior to the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in order to develop potential seismic retrofitting options, and the results are compared with the damage observations made following the Gorkha earthquake. Ananda Niketan was only assessed after the Gorkha earthquake with an extensive damage evaluation, in-situ material testing and sample extraction, and the undertaking of a comprehensive detailed seismic assessment. The two case studies are presented herein, followed by a comparison between the two buildings.