ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER - March 2010
TURKEY EARTHQUAKE STRATEGY
We are all now aware that our country is located on an active earthquake zone, and that 90% of our population is at risk of destructive earthquakes. The important thing is not to forget the existence of this danger by shifting the agenda. The recent Elazığ Earthquake has once again revealed the selflessness of the Turkish Nation. Everyone mobilized to help the earthquake victims. The fact that state resources reached the disaster area in a very short time, and the sensitivity of the authorities to the issue, is commendable. However, these are temporary (wound-healing) measures. Considering the inadequate building stock in terms of earthquake resilience in our country, the need for permanent (wound-preventing) measures becomes evident. Like many other regions of our country, a strong earthquake is expected in the Elazığ and surrounding areas. Let’s think: (GOD FORBID) if an earthquake with a magnitude of over 6.5, centered in Sivrice or Palu, lasts approximately 60 seconds, what would the scale of structural damage be? I leave the answer to this question to you. Our answer will become clear and documented in the upcoming articles. If the anticipated event happens, can we help the city center, the district center, and all the villages in the same way we reached the 5 villages that suffered casualties? We should not forget the Erzincan 1992, Kocaeli 1999, and Bingöl 2003 earthquakes. Shouldn't we question whether most of Turkey’s economic crises occurred after these earthquakes purely by coincidence?
There are many institutions in our country related to earthquake issues, and they are, of course, trying to fulfill their duties. However, the need for coordination among these institutions cannot be ignored. While ensuring this coordination, all institutions and organizations related to earthquakes must be included in the system, and this system should be given a name. The system, which I will explain the details of, is named “TÜDES: TÜrkey Earthquake Strategy” by the Fırat Association of Civil Engineers (FİMDER). The proposed earthquake strategy plan is broadly outlined as follows.
Predicting earthquakes in advance is not possible under current conditions. Ongoing scientific studies have not yet yielded positive results in this area. Therefore, the work is divided into two main groups: pre-earthquake and post-earthquake activities. It is not possible to distinguish the importance of these two groups from one another. For this reason, both must continue in parallel. The goal of pre-earthquake activities is to establish a building stock with high earthquake performance and to train professional teams that will carry out rescue operations after an earthquake occurs.
The first step of pre-earthquake activities consists of work related to buildings. There is a large stock of buildings with low earthquake resilience in our country. Furthermore, thousands of new buildings are constructed every year. The first step in addressing buildings should be in the area of building inspection. Building inspection is only applied in 19 pilot provinces in Turkey. In the 81 provinces of our country, significant weaknesses in construction arise in neglected provinces. Responsible municipalities carry out building inspections themselves. However, building inspection is too important to be left to the conscience of individuals and institutions. The main goals of building inspection can be summarized as follows:
• Reducing economic and social losses by ensuring the safety of life and property in buildings, thus benefiting both individuals and the country, • Increasing the quality of buildings to extend their economic lifespan, thereby reducing maintenance and repair costs, • Introducing the concept of specialization in engineering to improve the quality of engineering and architectural services, • Developing awareness in the construction sector, and producing earthquake-resistant buildings that meet world standards, • Increasing the effectiveness of legal inspections during the construction process, • Granting full authority and responsibility to technical personnel involved in the construction and inspection process, • Applying sanctions effectively against those who commit faults during the design and construction process and increasing public trust in the government’s legal and judicial system.
The 2007 Earthquake Regulation in Turkey is a standard that can result in buildings with high earthquake performance when international-level design and application rules are followed. What is important is that the rules in the regulation are applied with an adequate building inspection system. Unless a building inspection system suitable for the conditions of our country is implemented, the increase in low earthquake-resilient buildings cannot be stopped.
The existing building stock with low earthquake resilience should be examined in two sections. Urban transformation projects should be implemented for city and district centers, and rural transformation projects should be implemented for rural areas as soon as possible. It should be noted that each province in Turkey has different structural characteristics. Therefore, separate transformation projects should be prepared for each of the 81 provinces (for example, for Elazığ, ELDES: Elazığ Earthquake Strategy), and this information should be stored in common information pools. Transformation projects for each province should be prepared by local teams that are familiar with the region’s structural characteristics and geological features.
Urban transformation projects should begin with the creation of micro-seismic earthquake maps. Knowing the seismic properties of each neighborhood, even each building, is crucial for ensuring the earthquake resilience of the buildings to be constructed. Urban planning should also be carried out based on these maps. The second step is to determine the earthquake performance of every building in the neighborhoods and create earthquake risk maps. Based on these maps, decisions will be made on where urban transformation should begin. Public housing is mostly built in newly opened areas or in places far from the center. Will this system not invite old neighborhoods to become breeding grounds for drug users, terrorists, and criminals over time? Old neighborhoods are a key part of urban transformation. Moving to new settlements does not mean that old structures will not be used. In a severe earthquake, there will still be damage and casualties in these buildings. Removing the low or insufficient earthquake-resilient building stock here seems like the most appropriate solution.
In rural areas, there is also a significant building stock. This stock must be identified and assessed for earthquake resilience as soon as possible. For villages located in suitable geographic locations, common living spaces can be created, bringing the villages together. This way, the villages will regain their former charm, and many social, cultural, and economic problems will be solved. The Republican Villages Plan, which I mentioned last week, is an important proposed solution.
While these works related to buildings continue, it should never be forgotten that an earthquake can happen at any moment. Training activities, as in any other field, are an indispensable part of the earthquake strategy. Particularly, the number of rescue teams should be determined considering a large-scale earthquake. Volunteers from every institution should be trained in disaster rescue, and everyone should be taught how to organize themselves in the event of a disaster. Along with these activities, training on earthquake protection and psychological support during an earthquake will help people to act calmly and consciously during a potential disaster.
Pre-earthquake activities will involve long-term, complex, and bureaucratic procedures. However, after an earthquake, everything becomes urgent and chaotic. First, all affected settlements must be identified. This must be done as quickly as possible. Then, assistance will be provided to people in heavily damaged and collapsed buildings. Meanwhile, the food, shelter, health, and security needs of the earthquake victims must be met. For all of these operations to be carried out smoothly, disaster centers must create “disaster scenarios” before the earthquake, in addition to earthquake drills in buildings. If these disaster scenarios are made considering major earthquakes, significant shortcomings can be identified in advance, and many negative situations can be prevented after a potential disaster.
The system I have outlined in general, which could be fully explained in hundreds of pages, is urgently needed in Turkey. All institutions and organizations, including ministries, governorships, municipalities, universities, professional chambers, associations, and the media, must come together in the TÜDES platform, and these steps must be taken for the future of our country. Since a life without earthquakes is impossible, I wish you a healthy life in buildings with high earthquake performance.