ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – June 2011
THINGS THAT ESCAPE NOTICE
We can say that the construction industry's busiest season has begun. Consequently, mistakes and deficiencies are becoming more evident. Especially during the summer, the behavior of concrete changes, and this brings with it an increase in aspects that need attention.
The construction of buildings is a whole, consisting of the project, materials, craftsmanship, and inspection. If there is a deficiency or error in any one of these areas, it will negatively affect the others.
Until the early 2000s, civil engineers (almost everyone) used to do static and reinforced concrete calculations manually. Manual calculations were difficult because they took time, but engineers had the chance to learn the system. With the widespread use of computers, ready-made software programs for calculations began to be used, resulting in significant time savings. However, technology began to take control of us.
We certainly support the use of computers and software programs, but we condemn the idea of engineers “renting” their brains to computer programmers. When we say this, we need to provide evidence. The proof is visible in many buildings and constructions for those who understand and observe carefully.
What I’m about to discuss may be technical, but I know it will be understood. In soils with a liquefaction risk—meaning soils that behave like liquids during an earthquake and may cause buildings to collapse or sink—computer programs often support the idea of not constructing basements or only partially constructing them. This is because the program cannot visit the area after earthquakes to learn from them, nor can it read earthquake reports. When we bring this up, it is often argued that the regulation or standard doesn’t specifically mention this. The question here is: are we trying to identify gaps in the law, or are we aiming to build earthquake-resistant structures?
Another important issue that has entered the global literature due to building damages in Turkey is the construction of cantilevers above the ground floor. You won’t see this building element in developed countries, yet it is commonly built without hesitation in our country and region. When a cantilever is constructed, columns are connected to the beam from only one direction. The seismic behavior of such a column will not be as calculated by the PACKAGE PROGRAMS.
It is also evident that earthquakes are slowly fading from our memories, as we see the absence of reinforced concrete shear walls in new projects. Unfortunately, many of the engineering aspects in these projects seem to be ignored.
Especially the columns added to balconies, which have no connection to the building except for the slab (subject to punching shear), may behave in ways that the computer programs predict won’t happen during earthquakes. Unfortunately, we will all experience this together.
So, it’s clear that earthquake-resistant construction starts with a good design. No matter how good the materials and craftsmanship used are, some design mistakes cannot be concealed.
One of the significant problems in the summer season is the curing of concrete. Even if the concrete is well prepared and its components are of high quality, failing to adhere to the proper rules during pouring and curing will prevent the desired concrete strength from being achieved. Therefore, curing concrete, especially in summer, is of great importance. Failure to reach the calculated strength of concrete means a loss of national wealth.
From civil engineers to architects, from form workers to ironworkers, from painters to security guards, from clients to real estate agents, and from municipalities to ministries—everyone has significant responsibilities. May everyone shoulder their part with dedication.