Increasing safety in residential construction through a simplified earthquake- and typhoon-resistant guidelines

This paper presents the engineering basis for a document, Residential Design and Construction Guidelines (hereafter, Guidelines). The Guidelines is developed by the engineers of Build Change and its partners based on their technical reconnaissance after the 2013 earthquake in Bohol on October 15, 2013, and Typhoon Haiyan on November 8, 2013. The Guidelines are centered on the observations of typical residential construction and damage in these areas and the requirements of the 2010 National Structural Code of the Philippines. The Guidelines provide illustrated and simple instructions on residential construction, making them accessible to homeowners and local builders. The Guidelines are designed for disaster-resistant, permanent low-rise housing construction, endorsed by the Department of Public Works and Highways of the Philippines (in March 2016). Increasing understanding and application of the Guidelines in residential construction in earthquake- and typhoon-prone areas will increase the structural safety of houses and the country's resiliency.