Field Reconnaissance of the October 23, 2011, Van, Turkey, Earthquake: Lessons from Structural Damages
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29, Issue 5
Abstract
On October 23, 2011, an earthquake () hit the eastern province of Van, Turkey, at local time 13.41 (GMT 10.41). According to records, this was the biggest earthquake after the one in Kocaeli, Marmara, on August 17, 1999, The Van earthquake claimed 604 lives near the epicenter and caused extensive structural damage. Recorded ground accelerations were surprisingly low compared to the structural damage observed within the region and recent Turkish earthquakes. Its peak value was approximately . The objective of this article is to examine the existing reasons for damages to reinforced-concrete and masonry buildings. Additionally, general characteristics of the Van earthquake, seismo-tectonic characteristics of the region, and evaluation of peak acceleration value are presented. All factors that caused damage and collapse are presented as sections, and the observations are compared to the Turkish Earthquake Code and Turkish Building Code terms.
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks Özkan Atan for help during examinations in the earthquake area.
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Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29 • Issue 5 • October 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 28, 2013
Accepted: Oct 29, 2013
Published online: Oct 31, 2013
Discussion open until: Feb 8, 2015
Published in print: Oct 1, 2015
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