Field Investigation of the Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Building Structures during the June 12, 2017, Lesvos Earthquake in the Aegean Sea
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 34, Issue 5
Abstract
On June 12, 2017, at 1528 local time (1228 GMT), an earthquake of magnitude occurred, its epicenter in the Aegean Sea (south of Lesvos Island), approximately 23 km to the north of Izmir’s district of Karaburun. The impact of the earthquake left structures in various states of damage, particularly in the town of Vrissa on Lesvos. The types of damage occurring in the buildings of stone masonry in the town of Vrissa, the damage mechanisms, levels of damage and causes of the damage, as well as the relationship between structural characteristics and damage mechanisms have been evaluated in this paper. It was seen in the field investigations that the heavily damaged, partially collapsed, and totally collapsed buildings were generally nonengineered structures. Additionally, the various limitations and dimensional requirements of the Turkish Earthquake Code had not been applied to the damaged masonry buildings in Vrissa. Lower levels of damage had been sustained in masonry buildings in the earthquakes recorded in Elazığ, Van, and Ayvacık, where peak ground acceleration values of strong ground motions were even higher. This was mainly due to the structural characteristic of the houses of Vrissa that rendered a weak connection between the stone external walls and the internal separating walls of the orthogonal wooden construction on the upper floors. The length of the unsupported load-bearing stone external wall was over the limit specified by the Turkish Earthquake Code, which was the fundamental factor that increased the destructibility of the Vrissa houses.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. All data, models, and codes generated or used during the study appear in the published paper.
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Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 34 • Issue 5 • October 2020
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© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Oct 9, 2019
Accepted: Apr 10, 2020
Published online: Jul 7, 2020
Published in print: Oct 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Dec 7, 2020
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