Performance of adobe residential buildings in the 2003 Bam, Iran, earthquake

Adobe, in the form of sun-dried bricks and clay or lime/clay mortar, has traditionally been the primary construction material in Iran. Presently, this type of construction still constitutes a notable portion of the buildings in the urban areas and a majority of the buildings in the rural areas. Performance of traditional adobe construction during numerous Iranian earthquakes has generally been poor. Low material strength, poor workmanship, lack of proper connections between building elements, and the excessive weight of the building because of thick walls and massive roofs, are but a few of the shortcomings that contributed to the general weakness of these buildings under earthquake loads. This paper examines the performance of adobe residential buildings during the Bam, Iran earthquake. The current rehabilitation trends for this type of construction in Iran are also discussed.