Earthquake is a natural disaster that cannot be prevented and can cause great losses all over the world. The biggest cause of loss of life in earthquakes, which cause material and moral losses to thousands of people around the world every year, is buildings that are not resistant to earthquakes. For this reason, people ask, "Is my building earthquake resistant?" and “How should an earthquake-resistant building be?” By learning the answers to such questions, he needs to take precautions.
Is Your House Earthquake Resistant?
In order to understand the damage caused by the earthquake and the importance of earthquake resistance, first of all, “Why and how does an earthquake occur?” Knowing the answer to the question is very important. Earthquake, which is a seismic movement, in its simplest terms, is the vibrations on the surface caused by the waves created by the breaks in the earth's crust. Depending on the intensity of the earthquake, these tremors may even be so large that they change the shape of the earth. The earthquake resistance of buildings is extremely important to prevent loss of life and property in possible disasters.
The new regulations created in Turkey, especially after the Marmara Earthquake on August 17, 1999, determined the earthquake resistance of buildings within the framework of certain rules. Buildings built after this date and complying with earthquake regulations are more resistant to a possible earthquake. Buildings built before this date are also renewed with the help of urban transformation and similar projects, and new buildings are constructed in accordance with the regulations. If you are voicing the question "Is my house earthquake resistant?", you can learn whether your house is resistant to a possible earthquake and take precautions against earthquake risk.
What are the Features of Earthquake Resistant Houses?
Since an earthquake is an unavoidable natural disaster, it is very important for people to take precautions against this situation and to minimize the risk. The most important of these measures is to learn whether the building you live in is resistant to earthquakes. Relevant units of local governments and private companies can determine how durable the buildings are against a possible earthquake through services such as earthquake resistance testing upon request. The earthquake resistance level of buildings is determined according to different criteria. The determining criteria for the characteristics of earthquake resistant houses can be listed as follows:
Building Age: The age of the building, one of the most important determining criteria for earthquake resistance, allows you to have information about compliance with the earthquake regulations of the year the building was built. Buildings built in 1999 and later may be more resistant to earthquakes as they are built with stricter earthquake regulations. Building age also provides you with information about the lifespan of the materials used during construction. These materials may lose their function over time and cause a decrease in the durability of the building.
Ground Report: The ground, which is among the important factors affecting the durability of the buildings, causes the building to be vulnerable to earthquakes if it is not suitable. Stream beds and fill areas are unstable areas that are not suitable for building construction. Buildings must be built on solid, stable and groundwater-free soils. In addition, it is extremely important that the concrete and other materials used on the floor are of high quality.
Project Compatibility: Another important point regarding earthquake resistance is that the building is built in accordance with the project approved by the local government and that no changes are made after the construction contrary to the project. Incompatible changes made in important elements of the building due to renovations and similar reasons adversely affect the resistance against earthquakes.
Beams and Columns: The beams and columns, which are the load-bearing elements of the building, are the first structural elements to meet the shaking. The presence of cracks in beams and columns is one of the clearest signs that the building is not resistant to earthquakes. However, it is not certain that columns and beams without cracks are resistant to earthquakes, and the best result can be obtained as a result of a professional test.
Rutubet: ru formed in building elementstubeT-induced aging and deformations can negatively affect the quality of the building and reduce the resistance to earthquakes.
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