Soil-structure interaction of existing buildings near the active fault zone (Burdur-Turkey)

Abstract

Turkey is located in a tectonically active region. In the recent years, earthquakes occurred in settlement areas caused people dead and substantial damage to buildings. In order to reduce damages of possible earthquake effects on the buildings and people’s strengthening, the buildings and structuring in safer areas is increasingly gained importance. The Burdur city, situated at the tectonically active northeastern part of the Fethiye-Burdur Fault Zone (FBFZ), SW Turkey. This fault zone is approximately 300 km in length, and it contains several normal faults with left lateral oblique slip components. The Burdur settlement area is situated on the tectonically active fault segments of the FBFZ. This paper focuses on soil-structure interaction of existing buildings in Burdur settlement area built near the active FBFZ. In order to highlight the high risky, potentially risky, and low risky buildings for guiding decisions on retrofitting or renewal these buildings. In the study, to test and quantify the spatial distribution of the buildings built on the high or low liquefaction risk zones, the Getis-Ord Gi* statistics for hot and cold spot determination are applied to buildings which are weighted with the ground water level. According to results, the NE of the area buildings was built in high liquefaction prone areas. However, in the SW of the area buildings were built in low liquefaction prone areas. Other potentially risky areas located in the center of the area include those along some of the dried streams deposits, which produce the loose young soils that are particularly susceptible to liquefaction.