Turkey earthquake: Why did so many buildings collapse?
With the toll crossing 21,500, it is very tragic and heart-wrenching to think about the grim situation of the country. Buildings have crumbled down like paper and people have got buried in the debris and dust of the collapsed structures. But was it possible for the newly constructed buildings built with earthquake. Safe guidelines to come down like a pile of cards? It raises security concerns for the buildings in the future too. As to how to ensure the standards for building safety are followed or not.
Anger flared up after the collapse of newly constructed apartments in the earthquake that hit Turkey recently. The BBC investigated three new buildings converted to rubble, to examine what they tell about the safety of the building.
Two big earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale made all the buildings come down. Killing thousands of people all over southern Turkey and northern Syria.
But the crumbling down of the newly constructed buildings. And apartments have raised a question about safety standards in the country.
Modern techniques of construction ensure that buildings can stand up against quakes of this magnitude. And rules and regulations after the previous tragedy in the country were assumed to make sure that the buildings were protected with these technologies.
As identified by the BBC, in the first of three new buildings, social media footage showed people screaming and running for safety.
The downside of an apartment block in Malatya was seen falling. Apart leaving the residue standing at an angle with debris and dust.
This building was made according to the rules and regulations of the latest earthquake standards. The apartments were constructed recently and social media posts have been shared saying that the buildings were made in accordance with the latest earthquake regulations.
All the required substances and techniques utilized were top-notch in quality the information said.
The original information is not available online now, but videos and screenshots going around on social media are in compliance with the same adverts by the same company.
The latest erection means it should have been built according to the latest standards and upgraded in 2018, which needed infrastructures in earthquake-prone regions to be built according to the latest high-quality concrete reinforced with steel bars. The beams and columns must be disbursed as such to effectively withstand the impact of earthquakes.
But verifications of the claims have not been done as to the construction standards used in this block.
Some pictures show that another newly constructed apartment block in the port city of Iskenderun was destroyed to a great extent. The 16-storied building was destroyed completely with just a sliver of the block standing.
The image of the collapsed building was matched to a publicity photo published by the construction company. Showing that it was built in 2019, indicative of the fact that it must have been built as per the latest standards. When the construction company was contacted there was no response from their side. Another footage from Antakya shows that a nine-story apartment complex came down to debris and dust. At the back of a sign flashing the name of the developer: Guclu Bahce.
The video of the housing complex opening ceremony verifies that it was built in November 2019. But the Guclu Bahce complex in Antakya was poorly damaged in the earthquakes.
After the large-scale collapse of buildings in the stricken region, many people in Turkey have been raising questions about the type of building regulations.
Despite the intensity of the quakes, according to the experts on the matter properly constructed buildings should have been able to stay erect. According to experts, the earthquake was very intense but not violent enough to bring well-constructed buildings down. So it proves that almost all of the buildings that collapsed don’t stand up to any reasonably expected earthquake construction code.
Failure to enforce building regulations
Following previous tragedies,, the regulations regarding construction have been reinforced tightly including a 1999 earthquake around the city of Izmit, in the northwest of the country, in which 17,000 people died.
But there was a lack of enforcement of the latest standards and laws set in 2018. To some extent, the problem lies in the fact that the existing old buildings can not be renovated. But there is also very little imposition of building standards on new construction.
Countries such as Japan, despite the country’s history of severe earthquakes, prove how building regulations can help to keep people safe in disasters. In Japan, millions of people live in densely populated high-rise buildings without any fear. Safety needs for construction vary from simple strengthening to motion dampers throughout the building. Placing the entire structure on top of a giant shock absorber isolates it from the movement of the ground. Depending on a building’s use and its proximity to areas most at risk of earthquakes.
