Earthquake experience of Turkish precast industry

Abstract

The high seismic activity of the three fault zones in Turkey developed damaging earthquakes in the last five decades that affected the precast-concrete building structures in the region. Among others, the 1998 Adana, 1999 Kocaeli, 2003 Bingol and 2011 Van earthquakes are considerably important regarding the seismic performance of the precast structures. Earthquake performance of frame structures in the form of industrial-halls, shopping malls, multi-storey residential buildings and gymnasiums along with the wall structures mainly in the form of residential housing, under these seismic actions, revealed valuable information on the effectiveness of the prevailing technology and the design practice. The quality control system, inherently developed within the member companies of the Turkish Precast Concrete Association, TPCA, resulted better performance of the precast structures. The structural system of the multi-storey residential buildings in Bingol, Kocaeli and Van, regardless of the structural system, were in the state of immediate occupancy, while the cast-in-place buildings in the vicinity experienced damage ranging from life safety up to total collapse. Beside the residential buildings, bigger span structures like shopping malls gymnasiums and the industrial structures of TPCA members after the Adana and the devastating Kocaeli earthquakes responded between immediate occupancy and life safety.