Abstract
Abstract. During the last earthquakes in Turkey, reinforced concrete structures in the cities and masonry structures in the rural part were exposed to damage and failure. Masonry houses such as earthen, brick and stone structures are composed of building blocks with weak inter-binding action which have low tension capacity. Bending and shear forces generate tensile stresses which cannot be well tolerated. In this paper, the performance of masonry structures during recent earthquakes in Turkey is discussed with illustrative photographs taken after earthquakes. The followings are the main weakness in the materials and unreinforced masonry constructions and other reasons for the extensive damage of masonry buildings. Very low tensile and shear strength particularly with poor mortar, brittle behaviour in tension as well as compression, stress concentration at corners of windows and doors, overall unsymmetry in plan and elevation of building, unsymmetry due to imbalance in the sizes and positions of walls and openings in the walls, defects in construction such as use of substandard materials, unfilled joints between bricks, not-plump walls, improper bonding between walls at right angles etc.
Highlights
Turkey is frequently exposed to destructive earthquakes with the shortest return period (Dogangun, 2004; Kaltakci et al, 2007; Arslan et al, 2007)
Since most people had been placed in the tents allocated by the Turkish Red Crescent in the first earthquake, no life losses noted in the second tremor contrary to the 9 dead witnessed in the former one
The ratio of the population increase goes up to 4% in rural regions
Summary
Turkey is frequently exposed to destructive earthquakes with the shortest return period (Dogangun, 2004; Kaltakci et al, 2007; Arslan et al, 2007). Afyon-Sultandagi Earthquake affected Aksehir and vicinity where common structure type is earthen (kerpic) or traditional Turkish types Himis or Baghdadi. Bingol and Erzurum Earthquakes were affected the regions where stone masonry structures are common. People of 1149low socioeconomic strata in cities tend to use some rural22526890o97riginated construction techniques like adobe and stone ma2410sonry, himis and baghdadi (traditional Turkish rural structure 122types) that cost comparably low with regard to reinforced. More than people died and n the populace of pIenoplteheixspossteuddtoy,thecdlaansgseirfiocfasteiiosmnicothfreraut arnadl odf wthoeslelilnivgingtyinpeeasrthiqnuake vualnberoaublte 500 000 building collapsed or were heavily damaged tructures. Turkey and their damage and failure characteristics during (Cagatay, 2005).
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