ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – January 2012
DOCTOR-DIAGNOSIS-TREATMENT
(WILL STRENGTHENING HELP DURING AN EARTHQUAKE?)
As the pain of the earthquake starts to fade, the topics of discussion and the questions in people's minds begin to shift. Once immediate needs are met, the focus turns to how life can return to normal. It is not possible to demolish and rebuild all the buildings in an earthquake-affected region, nor is it necessary. The same holds true for all provinces in our country. Especially from the earthquake zone and neighboring provinces, we have been receiving different kinds of questions. These days, the topic of building strengthening is at the forefront. People from both the earthquake region and Elazığ have been increasingly inquiring about strengthening. Let’s try to explain this topic in a way that is easy to understand.
The main question people have is whether strengthening buildings is actually possible. Just as a person can be treated when they get sick, buildings can also be treated—or strengthened. There is a lot of discussion around this subject, and interestingly, sometimes even professionals in technical fields claim that strengthening is pointless and won't work. These opinions stem from a lack of information, as the world continues to improve treatment methods, both in medicine and in buildings.
To make it clearer, let's use examples from medicine. When someone has a cold, they often try to recover without even seeing a doctor. A building that survives a large earthquake with only small cracks, or a building whose earthquake resistance is already adequate, might only need simple repairs like painting and minor fixes. However, as the severity of an illness increases, treatment costs also rise. There is a vast difference between the cost of an antibiotic and a vitamin compared to the cost of chemotherapy. I want to clarify that I am referring to the costs borne by the government, not the out-of-pocket expenses of the citizens. Similarly, every building is different, and each strengthening project is customized for the individual building.
It’s also important to note that not every building with insufficient earthquake resistance must be strengthened. Buildings are evaluated within their own category, and if strengthening is economically viable, the process will proceed. In areas with many private-owned buildings, if the earthquake resistance is inadequate and costly to strengthen, the proper approach is to renew the buildings within that area according to urban transformation principles. On the other hand, strengthening public buildings is more economical because unnecessary demolitions and reconstructions of such buildings would place a heavy burden on the state and, by extension, on the public.
When strengthening a building to withstand earthquakes, certain issues must be carefully considered. First, the “doctor” of the situation should be an expert in the field. In medicine, specialization is a given, but unfortunately, this distinction doesn’t exist in civil engineering. Any civil engineer can buy a computer program and prepare a strengthening project, but that doesn’t mean it will be correct. Why? Just as a general surgeon does not perform heart surgeries, and a dentist doesn't perform orthodontic treatments, civil engineers who have not studied earthquake resistance and strengthening projects academically should not be the ones creating such projects.
The first step is to find the right doctor—an experienced firm or university should be chosen for this task. If you don’t entrust your building to knowledgeable hands, the first mistake will begin with the diagnosis. When determining a building’s earthquake resistance, the results will have a direct impact on both your financial and emotional well-being. If the building’s earthquake resistance is overestimated, your building will suffer more damage than expected in a future earthquake, leading you to believe that the strengthening didn’t work. If the resistance is underestimated, your strengthening costs will increase, and you’ll end up with unnecessary expenses. The correct diagnosis is essential for proper treatment.
Once you’ve found a skilled professional and the diagnosis is correct, it’s time for the treatment. No matter how well a strengthening project is prepared, if it is not implemented correctly, the building will remain at risk during an earthquake, as it will behave according to the construction, not the design, during the quake.
Strengthening begins with assessing the building’s earthquake resistance. To do this, the concrete strength, compliance with the original design, and overall load-bearing capacity of the building need to be assessed. These evaluations are carried out by professional teams through both on-site and laboratory tests, after which the strengthening project can begin. I say "can begin" because, at this stage, a demolition decision may still be made for the building.
Once it is determined that the building's earthquake resistance is insufficient and strengthening is possible, alternative strengthening projects are prepared. These projects are examined by technical teams, and the most feasible and economically viable plan is selected, detailed, and sent for implementation.
Once the strengthening project is ready, it should be carried out by experienced teams. This is especially important since many special construction techniques are involved.
Strengthening site-based structures tends to be more cost-effective and efficient, but the same cannot always be said for buildings in a block layout. Therefore, it is essential to pass urban transformation laws for these types of areas as soon as possible.
Public buildings urgently need to have their earthquake resistance assessed, and necessary strengthening efforts should be made. The value of public buildings that provide continuous services after an earthquake cannot be measured in terms of money.
By saying our buildings are strong, or thinking so, we are only deceiving ourselves, not the earthquake.