Assoc. Dr. Sinan AÇIKGÖZ – Oxford University

Assoc. Dr. Bora PULATSU – Carleton University

Southeastern Turkey has been the ‘meeting point of states, beliefs and peoples’ since ancient times. On February 6, 2023, Mw 7.8 (epicenter: Pazarcık) and later Mw 7.6 (epicenter: Ekinözü) earthquakes occurred. These main earthquakes were followed by thousands of aftershocks, including the Mw 6.3 event on February 20 (epicenter: Uzunbağ). More than 50,000 people died and 280,000 buildings were severely damaged.

This special session will investigate how historic structures in the region respond to seismic events and examine the impact of the findings on other historic urban environments at risk of earthquakes. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): post-earthquake observations on the impact of construction techniques on the seismic performance of various building typologies (mosques, churches, public and residential buildings), analysis of the impact of seismological considerations, characterization. Numerical modeling of historical building materials and case studies. The session will also aim to investigate possible repair and reinforcement techniques to improve seismic response and discuss good practices for the reconstruction of local and monumental structures.

Prof. Dr. M. Salih Keskin – Dicle University
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Laman – Çukurova University

Turkey is one of the countries rich in historical building reserves. When historical buildings in our country are considered, structural problems are often encountered. Many factors such as earthquakes, ground conditions, underground water level changes, additional sections added to the structure, and subsequent interventions can damage these structures. Although there are many studies on historical buildings, very few of them are related to the ground properties, foundations and strengthening of these foundations. The foundations of historical buildings, like other elements, are a part of the historical identity of the building. The originality of the foundations of historical buildings, like all other elements, should be preserved as much as possible. With the work to be done, the type of building foundations, width, depth, etc. Its properties should be determined, and the engineering properties of the ground on which the foundation sits should be revealed through ground investigations. With the analysis and calculations to be made, the bearing capacity and settlement values of the foundation should be determined and if there is a problem, necessary interventions and improvements should be made. These improvement and strengthening operations must be carried out by ensuring the safety of the historical building foundation under static and earthquake conditions and by preserving the historical originality of the building. Within the scope of this mini symposium, it is planned to examine the existing studies and discuss the problems encountered in the applications related to the improvement/strengthening of the foundations and foundation soils of historical buildings, and the solutions and approaches to these problems. In this context, the subject headings are presented below:

Ground investigation and geotechnical evaluation in historical buildings
Structure-ground relationship in historical buildings
Damages caused by the ground in historical buildings and intervention recommendations
Improvement of historical building foundation grounds
Historical building foundations, evaluation and strengthening applications

Prof. Dr. Polat GÜLKAN – Başkent University

Prof. Dr. İdris BEDİRHANOĞLU – Dicle University (Oxford University)

Climate change has the potential to push the built environment to extremes. Meteorological effects (rain, snow, wind, temperature changes, etc.) cause excessive load on the structure in cases where it deviates excessively from the averages. Unexpected effects include vehicle crashes, fire, lightning strikes, explosions, drilling, demolition of close-range structures within the scope of urban transformation, vibration effects caused by explosions, even if controlled, etc. In other words, it is thought that structures that collapsed due to unpredictable, unexpected or more than expected impacts should be examined.

While design regulations are being prepared, these abnormal loadings are mostly determined without taking into account, and it is accepted that the spare capacities of the structures will have reserves to cover the fluctuations in the effects. In cases where this acceptance is not realized, the majority of existing structures that are not designed for abnormal loading become a great risk for property and life safety. In order to reduce all these risks, there is a great need to know the behavior of such structures under abnormal loads and to develop appropriate evaluation criteria and appropriate strengthening methods.

Performance of historical buildings against major earthquakes

Historical building behavior under extreme precipitation, floods and large temperature change

Effects of industrial air pollution on historical buildings

Effects of ground changes due to environmental changes on historical building safety