ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – February 2014
NO PRECAUTION UNTIL DEATH COMES?
On January 29, 2014, a regrettable incident occurred.
Fortunately, we can call it regrettable today — it could have been worse, as it could have involved a tragic loss of life.
A retaining wall collapsed in Abdullah Paşa Neighborhood. Right behind this retaining wall is a site’s pergola and a children's play area.
Thankfully, the incident resulted in only material damage, and there were no fatalities.
My concern is that because there was no loss of life, the event may not receive the attention it deserves.
Because the majority of the buildings and sites on the main road connecting Abdullah Paşa to Bahçelievler have the same problem.
I’ve pointed out this problem before…
DATE: August 24, 2011
LOCATION: GÜNIŞIĞI NEWSPAPER
TITLE: WHAT ABOUT BUILDING SAFETY?
Here's a brief part from the column to remind you:
“Especially when I visit constructions on slopes, I see that many of them have foundations exposed outside. Even though it’s outside the basement level, foundations must be embedded in the ground. It seems we’re placing foundations right on top of the ground. I hope we won’t pay the price of collapsed buildings in an earthquake for this.
Everyone knows how important retaining walls are in construction on slopes. Many times in our country, even without earthquakes, buildings have collapsed or become uninhabitable due to landslides. How logical is it to rely on retaining walls made from rubble stones with no engineering expertise to carry the weight of buildings, which weigh hundreds of tons? Honestly, these structurally unsound buildings are criminal in nature. Retaining walls are referred to in literature as ground-bearing structures. They have their own standards and rules. You can’t just build them like a garden wall.”
I’m talking about walls that thousands of people live under, pass by daily, and children walk by on their way to school.
The danger is knocking.
Over the years, we’ll sadly witness more of these walls collapsing due to neglect.
And this is happening before we even experience a devastating event like an earthquake.
When that expected (but seemingly never-coming) earthquake strikes, we could be faced with challenges we hadn’t even thought about.
SOLUTION:
Retaining walls in this condition must first be identified and urgently strengthened or replaced with reinforced concrete retaining walls.
Technical rules aren’t just letters, numbers, formulas, or graphs. They work only when applied correctly.