Evaluating the Seismic Risk of Reinforced Concrete Buildings of Colleges under Royal University of Bhutan using RVS Method

Abstract

Bhutan is located in seismically active Eastern Himalayas and is highly vulnerable to future
earthquake disasters. Moreover, most of the colleges under Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) have
been upgraded from schools and training institutes. Therefore, an immediate assessment of the
vulnerability of educational infrastructure is required to ensure user safety and continuity of
education after a disaster. In this study, the Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) methodology of FEMA
P-154 and IIT Bombay is used to evaluate all reinforced concrete (RC) buildings of colleges under
RUB. A detailed field survey was carried out from late 2024 to early 2025 in all colleges. It shows
that 40% of RC buildings are below the commonly accepted benchmark score (S>2) according to
FEMA P-154. And similarly, around 49% have scores in the range (0.7 < S < 2.0) according to IIT
Bombay’s methods, indicating "moderate risk", as this range will have a high possibility of Grade
3 damage and a very high chance of Grade 2 damages during an earthquake. These two different
methods of RVS provide similar results due to inadequate seismic detailing, soft-storey
irregularities, and ageing materials. The findings provide a classification of buildings based on
potential seismic vulnerabilities and recommend priorities for detailed assessment, retrofitting, and
mitigation measures for risk prevention and reduction. The study advocates that RVS is an effective
preliminary tool for decision-makers to prioritize risk intervention strategies under limited time and
resources.