Our country was shaken by a great disaster on the night connecting February 5 to February 6. The earthquake, which became more dramatic with the second earthquake that occurred 9 hours later, inflicted wounds that are difficult to compensate. Turkish engineers also drew attention to the importance of creating disaster-oriented social awareness.
Turkey was shaken by a major earthquake disaster on 6 February. The earthquake, which became even more dramatic with the second earthquake that occurred 9 hours later, covering 10 provinces, affecting 13,5 million people and covering an area of approximately one thousand square kilometers, inflicted wounds that are difficult to compensate. CMD Engineering Chairman of the Board of Directors, Civil Engineer Cemal Doğan, who drew attention to the lessons learned from this great disaster and taking the necessary precautions in the light of scientific data, evaluated the structures damaged by the earthquake in terms of ground and construction techniques. He drew attention to the importance of creating disaster-oriented social awareness.
“We must reconsider all the information we have accepted so far about the earthquake”
“First of all, I wish God's mercy on more than 41 thousand souls who lost their lives in the heavy disaster. Cemal Doğan, who started his words by saying, "I want to express my best wishes to everyone who survived the disaster," said, "In addition to two earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 in Kahramanmaraş, the chain of earthquakes, of which tens were measured as 5 and 6 magnitudes, unfortunately aggravated the extent of damage and losses. In the statements made, it was shared that the perceptible intensity of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake was 12 and the Anatolian plate shifted 4 meters. The resulting picture showed that we need to reconsider all the information we have accepted so far about the earthquake. It necessitated the development of new ideas by re-evaluating many issues from ground structures to infrastructure plans, from upper settlement areas to building construction techniques, from disaster management plans during and after earthquakes to intervention zones to be established after possible earthquakes.” said.
“Strong ground or strong structure?”
CMD Engineering Chairman of the Board Civil Engineer Cemal Doğan said, “Soil and structure are two interrelated factors. In engineering techniques, there are construction techniques recommended for all types of soil and earthquake severity. Soil measurements are the most important data we have to create building techniques. For example, as we saw in the last earthquakes, a building broke from the foundation and tilted on its side, but there was no extensive damage to the structural members. Although it is difficult to comment on the photograph we looked at, we can say that there is a weakness in the ground in that area and the connection between the ground and the building is not established correctly. This is exactly why, in earthquake countries like ours, it is imperative to evaluate new technologies in building construction processes.” used the phrases.
“Earthquake isolator is of critical importance”
Emphasizing that the earthquake isolator used in new buildings is an important solution model that reduces the risk of damage, Cemal Doğan said, “The isolator reduces the load created by the earthquake effect on the building and prevents possible risks. It is also critical that the buildings are constructed in accordance with engineering techniques, scientific data and regulations. As engineers, we calculate the load to be carried by the ground and foundation, and plan its balanced distribution on columns, shear concrete and beams. Buildings built with this principle, on the other hand, only disrupt the building plans made illegally and remove the load and strength of the building. Buildings that are not built in accordance with the project or illegally increase the damage and losses in any disaster scenario.
“Soil survey is a mandatory practice”
CMD Engineering Chairman of the Board of Directors, Civil Engineer Cemal Doğan, pointed out that even though soil surveys have been carried out since the 90s, there are 99 earthquakes in this regard and continued his words as follows:
“Soil and construction foundation study reports are a topic that geology, geophysics and we civil engineers work on together. While the soil engineers are examining the ground, we report how the foundation will be in the parameters suitable for this ground. Therefore, making mistakes in the parameters used in this subject, which requires serious expertise, causes the building to be designed incorrectly and poses a risk. For this reason, building controls should be started very quickly in all our cities close to fault lines, especially in Istanbul, which is one of the primary earthquake zones. Each local government should prepare a building risk inventory of the buildings in its area of responsibility.”
“Taking precautions is also a matter of social consciousness”
Drawing attention to the fact that our country is a country where great earthquakes and natural disasters such as fire, flood and landslide are experienced, Cemal Doğan said that disaster awareness should be brought to every level of society at the earliest age and concluded his words as follows:
“I think it is a must to teach disaster awareness as a compulsory subject starting from primary education. If this is done, a more conscious social structure will emerge in 30 to 40 years. Today, our citizens also have responsibilities. Everyone should learn about the risk status of the building they live in, own or rent. Because taking precautions is a matter of social consciousness.”