Manual of Construction Methods for Building in Afghanistan

Construction in Afghanistan is very different from U.S. construction and offers many challenges to maintaining good quality. The availability of materials and equipment (or lack thereof) dictates most construction methods. Outside of major cities, building designs seldom, if ever, have historically had any consideration for earthquake forces, but follow age-old methods without any modern building code influence. There are currently no building codes in place, nor are there any controls placed by the government on contractor or engineer licensing or certification. The massive influx of dollars for infrastructure provides occasion to require Afghan contractors to adhere to near – if not entire – compliance with international building standards, if we will take opportunity to enforce those higher standards on projects that we fund. It will take a few years to spread, inculcate and reinforce these practices to the degree that they are generally accepted and even self-enforced by the Afghan construction industry itself. Therefore it is incumbent upon everyone who has an influence on construction to understand what minimum standards should apply to the construction methods that are – or should be – used in Afghanistan.

This manual is designed to be read and understood by professionals and non-building professionals who are taking on responsibilities for controlling, inspecting or in any other way influencing building construction in Afghanistan. It can also be used as a basis for minimum construction standards – and therefore a poor substitute for – project specifications, in the absence of such detailed specifications. It can also be used as a basic textbook for training Afghan contractors on construction methods.