Page 253 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 4

Ahmet Yakut - Barış Binici

“package program”. The use of these software in this way prevented
the engineer from understanding the building behavior, seeing the
load flow, and providing safety aspects. In fact, it seems possible in
some building systems that buildings designed with the unconscious
use of “package programs” are severely damaged in this earthquake.
Unfortunately, models in which earthquake load transfer mechanisms
are not represented correctly may appear as an element that can cause
severe damage to buildings.
• Considering the amount of ready-mixed concrete used in our country,
it can be said that it has been utilised in almost every province except
the rural regions after 2000. Ready-mixed concrete plants work with a
method that is not applied in any sector. These plants sell a product,
strength of which is actually uncertain because they cannot know the
final property of their product until it is hardened. For this reason, all
plants are obliged to perform tests before transporting the concrete
and to predict a certain quality in order to survive. In fact, this situation
always forces them to play on the safe side. Therefore, it can be asserted
that the possible concrete quality of ready-mixed concrete plants is
generally at a certain standard with some exceptions.
• Perhaps the major problem in the pre-2000 buildings is the lack of
concrete strength. A concrete, the strength of which is placed as half of
the design strength, actually causes a significant amount of increase in
the axial load ratio of vertical elements. For this reason, it can be said
that concrete strength was a reason on the damage of the buildings
constructed before 2000, but it was less effective in later structures. It
is known that the average concrete strength in pre-2000 buildings is
about 9 MPa (Yakut 2004).
• The construction quality of a building significantly affects earthquake
performance. Since the main elements that determine the bearing
of the building are covered with plaster, paint, coating etc. and thus
cannot be understood at first appearance, lack of quality can actually
remain hidden. The addition of water for facilitation during placement
reduces the concrete strength, the concrete that is not well compacted
decomposes, poorly confinement of reinforcement cannot provide
the desired strength and flexibility. In our country, quality cannot be
achieved on the field unless production is performed in the factory. As a
result, there is a system that does not demand quality in project design,
material supply, construction, and avoid to spend money on structural
quality. This system has a role in the observed severe damages.

242 The Journal of Environment, Urban and Climate