ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER - June 2010
IS IT IGNORANCE? OR NEGLIGENCE?
It seems to be a professional illness, as I find myself constantly inspecting existing and under-construction buildings. Identifying deficiencies, I know, is the first step towards proper implementation. With the arrival of summer, we observe significant problems in concrete maintenance. Although concrete care is often neglected during rainy and humid weather in early and late spring, the issues are not as severe as they are during the summer. This is why, especially during the summer, watering concrete is crucial for concrete strength and, consequently, for earthquake resilience.
Actually, this week's article was supposed to focus on another topic. However, this critical issue in the construction sector brought the topic back to the forefront once again. I say "once again" because in my article titled “The Importance of Concrete Maintenance in Construction Quality” on May 12, 2010, I had discussed in detail the technical requirements of concrete watering. Similarly, in my article on June 2, 2010, titled “Current and Future Expectations,” I shared important points discussed at a seminar on concrete, organized by the Elazig Branch of the Chamber of Civil Engineers. The seminar speakers, Professor Dr. Hulusi ÖZKUL from Istanbul Technical University's Department of Civil Engineering Materials, Ferruh KARAKULE, Secretary General of the Turkish Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (THBB), and Dr. Tümer AKAKIN, Assistant Secretary General of THBB, emphasized the importance of concrete transportation, placement, and maintenance.
Last weekend, I visited almost all the construction sites I could find, and I was disappointed to see that most of the concrete had not been watered. Perhaps they watered it early in the morning or at night, I thought. I began visiting eighteen different construction sites across different neighborhoods at dawn. In fifteen of the construction sites, no watering had been done, in two of them, there was a brief watering of the soil as if for grass, and only two of the sites were properly watering both the slab surface and the columns and beams. On further visits throughout the day, none of the sites where watering had not been done had any work being carried out.
I couldn't explain to myself why a rule that is 100% necessary was not being followed. Was it ignorance? Or negligence? I was in doubt. It could not have been ignorance because concrete has been in use since the early 1900s, and everyone must know that it needs to be watered, even if they don’t know the exact reasons behind it. This responsibility is not just a debt to the people who will use the building; it is a duty to humanity. Concrete that is not watered will have a lower strength than calculated, and even small to medium-sized earthquakes can cause damage to the building. The money spent by the people and the state to repair these damages is wasted. This responsibility (or negligence) is towards the 75 million people of Turkey and future generations.
No matter how well a concrete mix is prepared, if the pouring and maintenance conditions are not carried out as per the standards, the calculated strength will never be achieved. Therefore, we must adhere to the highest standards for placement and maintenance.
Many of the construction sites I visited may not have watered their concrete since it was poured. According to the construction market terminology, the concrete was "burned." At these sites, it would be impossible for the concrete strength in place to match the strength of the samples taken by the municipality for control purposes. Therefore, the Elazig Municipality needs to update some of its controls regarding concrete strength. The correct approach is that the concrete strength in place must match the design strength of the project, not the strength of the samples. In this regard, I believe that, as in the past, our municipality will take permanent steps in collaboration with the Fırat University Department of Civil Engineering.
The construction sector is far too important to be left to the supervision of consciences alone.
As the readers of Günışığı are well aware, my articles always focus on professional topics. I have maintained a principle of not writing about political agendas. Today, I want to share something from the heart. In recent months, dozens of our sons and daughters have been martyred. Dozens of homes have been shattered. I pray for mercy for our revered martyrs and offer my deepest condolences to their families, loved ones, and the great Turkish nation. It is very difficult to express these emotions with flowing sentences. Those who govern have a difficult task, and so does the nation... May God help us.
There is a fine line between:
- Courage and madness,
- Caution and fear,
- Impulsiveness and haste,
- Tolerance and indulgence,
- Justice and oppression,
- Patience and hesitation.
How fortunate are those who remain on the right side of the line in their hearts…