ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – May 2012
DID YOU KNOW THESE? (1)
- The first disaster regulation in our country was published in 1940.
- Buildings constructed in accordance with the 1968 and 1975 disaster regulations, even if severely damaged, will not cause any loss of life.
- Nearly 90% of constructions have not adhered to the 1998 and 2007 earthquake regulations until today.
- During the 1992 Erzincan Earthquake, over 2,000 of our citizens lost their lives, and more than 10,000 buildings were damaged.
- In the 1998 Adana-Ceyhan Earthquake, 146 people died, and more than 30,000 buildings were damaged.
- In the 17 August 1999 Kocaeli and 12 November 1999 Düzce Earthquakes, over 20,000 of our citizens lost their lives, and more than 100,000 buildings were damaged.
- According to the famous British economic newspaper Financial Times, the indirect macroeconomic damage caused by the Marmara Earthquakes was estimated at 40 billion dollars.
- Considering these earthquake balances, the 1994 and 2001 economic crises in Turkey cannot be considered coincidental.
- Many municipalities, without even a single construction engineer, have issued hundreds or even thousands of construction permits.
- There are building inspection agencies that issue approvals and delivery of structures without even seeing the site of the construction or the materials used.
- There are residential areas built with poured (seismically inadequate) concrete, which are referred to as "earthquake housing."
- Many citizens have purchased homes not by considering the construction and design of the house, but only focusing on things like kitchen cabinets, wallpaper, and room sizes.
- The number of such citizens is alarmingly high.
- According to the 2007 Earthquake Regulation, if a building planned and constructed under real inspection control has insufficient concrete curing during its basic construction, the building may lose enough structural strength that it would require reinforcement.
- After the February 2007 Sivrice Earthquakes, approximately 200 buildings in Elazığ's central district were heavily damaged, and citizens are still living with their families in these buildings.
- A destructive earthquake in Elazığ and its surroundings will not be a surprise.
- As time passes since destructive earthquakes, our earthquake perception and awareness of the risks have diminished.
- A large portion of Elazığ's building stock has insufficient earthquake resistance, and urgent actions need to be taken regarding this issue.
...and many more facts we need to be aware of.