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Training manuals

Manuals must respond to the needs of each specific user group. An engineer demands for another kind of information than a mason, and a self-builder's technical know-how is not the same as that of a building technician. Our manuals have been prepared in three different versions:

  • For architects and technicians: Complete information with illustrations and a lot of text explanations.

  • For masons: A highly illustrated manual with little text and in a local language, to accompany the training course.

  • For self-builders and masons: Basic information to avoid major construction errors.

An additional guide-book specifically for engineers has been prepared by the engineers of the confined masonry network. We add it for completeness among the manuals for architects and technicians. 

Manuals for technicians and architects (and engineers)

Architect's-guide-confined-masonry-EERI-

Construction guide for low-rise confined masonry buildings,

by Tom Schacher and Tim Hart, EERI, 2015,

in ENGLISH

Guía arquitectos mampostería confinada

Construyendo viviendas de mapostería confinada de uno y dos pisos,

by Tom Schacher and Tim Hart, EERI, 2015,

in SPANISH (CASTILLANO): The technical terms employed in this manual are those most commonly used across various Latin-American versions of Spanish. Local terms can be quite different.

Eng. manual thumbnail.jpg

Seismic Desing Guide for low-rise Confined Masonry Buildings,

by Roberto Meli, Svetlana Brzev et al., EERI, 2011,

in ENGLISH

This guide is addressing specifically the needs of civil engineers.

Manual for masons

The manual for masons is a highly illustrated step by step guide on how to build an earthquake resistant house with confined masonry. It has been developed in Haiti as an aide-memoir accompanying the training of masons involved in the reconstruction of the country. Since its first publication in 2013 and on the basis of the reference version in English version prepared in 2018 it has been translated into various languages.

The translations and adaptations to local rules and regulations of the manual for masons have been made by local institutions and are beyond the control and responsibility of the original authors.

Reference version !

Mason's manual 2013 Creole.jpg
Mason's manual 2017 Spanish.jpg

Gid pou konstwi kay pi solid

by Nadia Carlevaro, Guillaume Roux-Fouillet, Tom Schacher, SDC - Institut National de la Formation Professionnelle INFP - Ministère des Travaux Publics MTPTC (Haiti) 2013,

in CREOLE

Guía para la construcción de viviendas sismo-resistentes en mampostería confinada,

by Nadia Carlevaro, Guillaume Roux-Fouillet, Tom Schacher, SDC - PUCE - EPN (Ecuador), 2017,

in SPANISH (CASTILLANO)

Mason's manual 2018 English non-country

Guide book for building earthquake resistant houses in confined masonry

by Nadia Carlevaro, Guillaume Roux-Fouillet, Tom Schacher, SDC - EERI (non country-specific version / basis for translations), 2018,
in ENGLISH

Mason's manual 2018 Turkish.jpg

Çevrelenmiş betonarme kagir yapılarda depreme-dayanıklı ev yapım kılavuzu,

by Nadia Carlevaro, Guillaume Roux-Fouillet, Tom Schacher, SDC - EERI, 2018,

in TURKISH

Mason's manual 2019 Farsi.jpg

Guide book for building earthquake resistant houses in confined masonry,

by Nadia Carlevaro, Guillaume Roux-Fouillet, Tom Schacher, SDC - EERI, 2020,

in FARSI

Mason's-manual-2019-Indonesian.jpg

Buku panduan untuk bangunan rumah tahan gempa dari pasangan bata terkekang,

by Nadia Carlevaro, Guillaume Roux-Fouillet, Tom Schacher, SDC - Universitas Muhammadiyah Palu, 2019,

in BAHASA INDONESIA

Video Amin 2.jpg

Video lectures making use of the Guide book for building earthquake resistant houses in confined masonry, by Eng. Amin Mahmood, PE, SE,  2020,

in PASHTO

Booklets with basic instructions for masons and self-builder

These booklets for self-builders present the most important rules to observe to build a safer house. The content has  been improved over the years and adapted to local requirements. Do use the older versions just for inspiration or if nothing better is available in the desired language.

Mason's-guide-2007-ERRA-english.jpg

Confined masonry: an illustrated guide for masons (booklet), by Tom Schacher, SDC - UN-Habitat - Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority ERRA (Pakistan), 2007, 14p.,

in ENGLISH

Mason's-guide-2007-ERRA-Urdu.jpg

Confined masonry: an illustrated guide for masons (booklet),

by Tom Schacher, SDC - UN-Habitat - ERRA (Pakistan), 2007, 14p.,

in URDU

Mason's-guide-2011-NICEE-english-b.jpg

Confined masonry for one and two storey buildings in low-tech environments: a guidebook for technicians and artisans, by Tom Schacher, National Information Centre for Earthquake Engineering NICEE (India), 2009, 24p.,

in ENGLISH

confined-masonry-handout-NICEE.jpg

Confined masonry for one and two storey buildings in low-tech environments: a guidebook for technicians and artisans, by Tom Schacher, NICEE (India), 2013, 24p.,

in HINDI

Self-builder-guide-from-calendar-2012-Cr

Bon jan règ pou n bati kay ki pi solid (Basic rules on how to build more solid houses) (booklet extracted form calendar 2012→ see awareness raising activities), SDC - Ministère des Travaux Publics, Transport et Communication MTPTC (Haiti), 2012, 20p.,

in CREOLE

Self-builder-guide-from-calendar-2012-Fr

Quelques règles pour construire des maisons plus solides (Basic rules on how to build more solid houses), SDC - MTPTC (Haiti), 2012, 20p.,

in FRENCH.

Self-builder-guide-from-Calendar-2013-Fr

Quelques règles pour construire des maisons plus solides (Basic rules on how to build more solid houses) (booklet extracted from calendar 2013), SDC - MTPTC (Haiti) 2013, 20p..Version made by a local graphic artist to be in tune with local graphic custom,

in FRENCH

Self-builder-guide-from-calendar-2017-Sp

Construir mejor con mampostería confinada (booklet extracted from calendar 2017), SDC (COSUDE) - Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda MIDUVI - Servicio nacional de Gestion de Riesgos SGR - Pontifícia Universidad Católica del Ecuador PUCE - Escuela Politécnica Nacional EPN (Ecuador), 2017, 20p.,

in SPANISH (CASTILLANO)

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