Why BRIN-Built Houses Remained Standing After NTT Earthquake

An earthquake measuring M7.7 in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday (15/8/2026) damaged many buildings. However, three houses built by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) did not collapse and remained standing after the event.

The three prototype houses are located in Rangko Hamlet, Tanjung Boleng Village, Boleng District, West Manggarai Regency, NTT. All the houses were built in 2021-2022 as part of the development of earthquake-resistant construction technology.

Monitoring results showed no structural cracks in the houses, from the walls and columns to the building foundations. Damage was only visible on the bathroom wall tiles.

BRIN Young Expert Engineer Vian Marantha Haryanto explained that all the houses were designed with earthquake-resistant construction technology for application in NTT’s high earthquake risk areas. The findings show that the design and methods applied can protect buildings and their occupants.

“These houses were specially designed with earthquake-resistant construction technology for disaster-prone areas such as NTT. This result proves that the design and construction methods we applied are capable of protecting the building structure, and most importantly, protecting the safety of the occupants, even when shaken by an earthquake of this magnitude,” he explained, quoted from BRIN’s official website on Friday (21/8/2026).

Next, BRIN will conduct testing to obtain technical validation in the laboratory, namely using cyclic testing in accordance with SNI 3966:2012 at the Structural Strength Research Centre laboratory.

For information, the development of earthquake-resistant technology has been carried out since 2019. This included the construction of two units in Tangerang Regency, a two-storey prototype house in Lebak Regency in 2021, and three housing units in NTT at the end of 2021.

BRIN has also made improvements to the construction technology used. There is the addition of seismic rubber bearings in the second-generation houses, which will help dampen vibrations caused by earthquakes.

“Seismic rubber bearings work by separating the lower and upper parts of the building structure. When shear forces occur due to an earthquake, the component is designed to help withstand the shear force so that the impact of shaking received by the building structure can be reduced,” he explained.