DO BUILDINGS AGE?

ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – October 2011   DO BUILDINGS AGE? When buildings are designed, coefficient calculations are made according to their intended…

ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – October 2011

 

DO BUILDINGS AGE?

When buildings are designed, coefficient calculations are made according to their intended use. These coefficients take into account the service (use) life of the buildings. For a building to safely serve until its projected lifespan, its design must comply with the relevant standards and regulations, and it must be constructed according to the approved design.

Let’s assume that the designs and constructions of our buildings are appropriate. In the end, buildings, like humans, have a lifespan, but unlike human lifespan, it is possible to predict the lifespan of buildings.

We classify buildings based on their usage types as residential buildings, workplaces, and special-purpose buildings. Additionally, we generally categorize them according to their structural system type: reinforced concrete frame, steel frame, masonry, semi-masonry, adobe, and wooden buildings. In our country and specifically in our region, a large portion of the building stock consists of residential buildings with reinforced concrete frame and masonry structures.

The cost of a building is calculated by multiplying the external surface area of the building by the square meter construction cost. This cost can be approximately estimated using the unit cost rates published by the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement.

By using the wear percentages, the decrease in the value and lifespan of the building can be approximately determined. The most important wear percentages that should be known are listed below:

The images of buildings (rubble) after major earthquakes in our country and the related reports reveal the inadequacy of our building stock in terms of earthquake resistance. The main reasons for this include poorly designed projects, construction not following the approved designs, and alterations made to the building's structural system over time.

If even a building that is constructed properly and according to the design is 40% worn out after 40 years, shouldn’t we consider the wear percentage of buildings with many deficiencies? Don’t you think that adobe and other simple structures in rural areas have already surpassed their useful life? In our country and in our region, a significant portion of the building stock is 40 years old or older.

The wear percentages mentioned above are not our own, but are taken from the table published in the Official Gazette on December 12, 1982 (Issue 17886), which sets the wear percentages.

We should not wait for buildings to be destroyed by earthquakes to renew urban and rural settlements. Unfortunately, we can all see from the media that many buildings have collapsed without an earthquake. It is not too late to prevent these tragic events.

Especially when planning cities, focusing on the improvement of existing settlements rather than new settlement areas will be a more visionary and comprehensive approach.