How to understand an earthquake resistant building

1. Compliance with the approved project

• Buildings must be constructed in accordance with the approved project and remain faithful to this project after construction.

• Applications that are not included in the project, such as making an elevator to the building afterwards, cutting columns during renovations or illegal floors, may cause security problems.

2. Building age

• The age of the building gives information about which earthquake regulation the building was built.

• Buildings constructed in accordance with more current regulations are considered to be more successful in terms of durability than previous regulations.

• Also, as the building ages, the aging of the building materials affects the durability of the building.

3. Ground condition

• The right building applied on the right ground is resistant to earthquakes.

• Do not forget to review the soil investigation report. Again, it should not be forgotten that not every building can be applied to every soil.

• Stream beds or filled areas are considered vulnerable to natural disasters, and structures on firm ground are considered more durable.

4. The quality of the material used in the construction

• The quality of the materials used in the building is as important as the condition of the ground.

• Even if the ground is solid, a building built using poor quality materials will have low durability.

• Concrete quality can only be examined and evaluated by experts such as Civil Engineers.

5. The condition of the load-bearing system

• Cracks, breaks or holes in the structural system give information about the durability of the building.

• If there are no cracks in the structural system, this does not mean that the building has high durability.

• The most accurate result is obtained with earthquake resistance tests.

6. Moisture condition of the building

• Look at the building's basement. If it is damp, the building is not well waterproofed or the building is damaged.

• Moisture, especially in the basement, can damage the load-bearing system of the building over time.

• Corrosion of load-bearing systems of buildings with poor insulation causes damage to the structure during a severe earthquake.

7. Earthquake risk analysis

• In order to see more reliable and precise results about whether the houses are earthquake resistant or not, it is beneficial to have an earthquake risk analysis of the building done.

• An earthquake risk analysis can be done by applying to institutions approved by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

• With the earthquake risk analysis, the strength of the concrete used in the building and the durability it can show in the event of a possible earthquake are examined.