Devil in the Details: Success and Failure of Haiti's Nonengineered Structures

Abstract

The M_w 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 exposed deeply rooted weaknesses of the built environment. Numerous factors contributed to the severity of this disaster, including building materials, design, construction, and oversight, all of which were deficient and represent a lower bound condition. Yet despite poor quality, some structures were undamaged. A minor change in construction sequence resulted in an altered load path and a drastically different outcome for some buildings. Infilled frame systems performed poorly and account for the majority of structural collapses. Buildings assembled in a manner similar to confined masonry, however, performed well and experienced little damage. Damage assessments conducted around Port-au-Prince reveal that 20% of the housing stock was completely destroyed and 27% was significantly damaged. These assessments illuminate Haiti's vulnerability to future and repeated devastation, since the remaining damaged and brittle structures could likely not sustain additional excitation.