7 million buildings at risk of collapse

After the major earthquake on February 6, when the critical moments of search and rescue operations were introduced, eyes were turned to past earthquakes. While Turkey, located in a seismic zone, is fraught with another earthquake at any moment, more than 7 million buildings in the country are still at risk of collapse. Turkey has experienced three earthquakes in recent years, Elazig on January 24, Bingol on June 14 and Izmir on October 30, which killed many people. So, how to minimize the pre-earthquake in Turkey, which is located in an earthquake zone? Let’s watch the interview of INDEPENDENT Turkish in 2021 and listen to earthquake experts.

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According to experts, it is necessary to act not after the earthquake, but before the earthquake to minimize the risks.

The severity of the number of people killed by earthquakes around the world in 2020 and the impact of two new strong earthquakes is painful. According to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS), which speak of serious numbers, Turkey was in first place in the world in terms of human casualties that took place last year. On the other hand, experts insist on the importance of minimizing risks before they occur, rather than taking action after an earthquake.

Turkey is located in the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt and it is an active mountain belt.

Dokuz Eilul University of Izmir (DEU) Earthquake Research and Application Center (DAUM) Director and Lecturer of the Department of Engineering Geology Prof. Dr. Hasan Sozbilir touched on some important points regarding the earthquake in an interview he has given in recent years. Sezbilir stated that Turkey is geologically located in the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt, that it is an active mountain belt, and that the fault chain began when the country did not settle on its territory due to seismic hazard in the past, but built cities on faults.

Sezbilir said: “Although the buildings were supposed to be located in accordance with the geological structure, they were placed on faults. All 485 rifts have settlements, be it a province, a district, or a village. Mentioning that the strongest earthquake in Turkey was the Erzincan earthquake of magnitude 7.9, which occurred in 1939 and lasted 52 seconds, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir announced that no lessons had been learned from the incident, which killed nearly 33,000 people.

Noting that the danger posed by the settlement on the fault was only realized after the 99 earthquake, Sezbilir said: “In the last 21-22 years, we have become more careful, improving rotten floors and building earthquake-resistant buildings. However, everything doesn’t work as it should. Buildings built before 99 in Turkey are problematic. Because earlier, when opening a building site, no geological study was required. According to scientists, after the 99 earthquake, every province should have an earthquake master plan. Let’s adjust the city transformation accordingly. First of all, it was the task of local self-government. But on October 30, an earthquake in Izmir killed 117 people.”

“The wine law must be passed!”

prof. Dr. Hasan Sozbilir, on the other hand, drew attention to the need for a “wine law”. Defending the existence of shortcomings regarding Turkey’s guilt, Sezbilir continued his words as follows:

The wine law must be passed. By the end of March, most likely, the content of the law will be available to relevant institutions, individuals and society. An earthquake has two main components. Firstly, this is the interaction of the structure with the soil, and secondly, the interaction of the structure and the fault. I can understand the relationship between the structure and the ground, the problem between the ground and the structure is solved when the building is built appropriately before the earthquake. The issue between Yapi and Fai will also be settled by law. After the adoption of the Fault Law, the consequences of the earthquake will be minimized …

“We must act before an earthquake occurs”

prof. Dr. can speak “We must take action before an earthquake occurs, not after it occurs. Serious work must be carried out to identify not only earthquakes, but all natural disasters at the regional level and minimize the risk. It is necessary to take measures to reduce human casualties in Turkey. Before an earthquake occurs, people must be prevented from living in dangerous places.said. On the other hand, referring to the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that hit Greece in recent years, Sezbilir said, “If an earthquake of this magnitude were to occur anywhere in Turkey, it would definitely result in loss of life or property, but this did not happen in Greece. Because they decided both the quality of construction, i.e. earthquake-resistant construction, and the relationship between the fault and the structure. In 2022, buildings in Turkey should not be demolished due to the earthquake!” used words.

Onsite inspection is a must!

The head of the Southern Marmara Chamber of Geological Engineers’ Union of the Union of Turkish Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), Engin Er, shared similar views on the earthquake. While stating that Turkey is prone to natural disasters due to its geological position and this situation will continue, Er drew attention to settlement areas that are located on fault zones and soils with poor engineering characteristics:

As a result of the earthquakes that occurred in Elazig-Sivritsa, Malatya-Doganyol and Pyturg, Van Bashkale, Bingol-Yedisu, Manisa-Ahisar and the last in Izmir in 2020, 168 of our citizens were killed, about 3 thousand people were injured, destroyed or about 80,000 residential and work places and similar independent sections of buildings were damaged, and financial losses amounted to about 20 billion lire. When natural disasters are added, such as floods, landslides, avalanches, hurricanes, etc., it is seen that our losses increase even more. It can be seen that most of the human casualties and damage during recent earthquakes in our country are in fault zones and settlement areas that lie on soils with poor engineering properties.

Turkey ranks first in earthquake casualties in 2020

TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineers, South Marmara Branch Board Member and Balıkesir Provincial Officer Aysun Haykan, Prof. Dr. He expressed similar views with Hassan Sozbilir and Engin Er. Claiming that Turkey ranks 3rd in the world in terms of earthquake deaths and ranks first in 2020 data, Haykan said: “While it is impossible to prevent these natural disasters, it is in our hands to prevent earthquakes from turning into disasters. . Therefore, the country’s priority should be the policy of earthquake preparedness and mitigation. Recalling that 7 million out of 20 million buildings are risky, Aikan also emphasized that first of all, it is necessary to be sure of the durability of houses.

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