Field Data and Observations of Damaged Buildings 10 Weeks after the February 2023 Earthquake Sequence in Türkiye

Abstract

The February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye constitute one of the largest shaking sequences in recent history that have impacted a significant area and a vast number of buildings designed per modern seismic design provisions. This paper and the associated database present the major observations from Thornton Tomasetti’s reconnaissance team that visited the affected area between April 12 and April 19, 2023. The team visited 17 towns focusing on three major aspects: (1) observe the performance of modern construction that presumably followed the building code, (2) collect data on the impact of risk category assumptions or use of base isolation on seismic performance, and (3) identify trends in the recovery process of buildings. The reconnaissance team observed that newer buildings that follow modern earthquake engineering principles (mostly known as post-2000 buildings in Türkiye) performed much better than the pre-2000 buildings. However, infill walls were a common problem for all buildings. Although infills may have helped avoid the collapse of some older, seismically deficient buildings, they resulted in extensive nonstructural damage in more modern buildings. Designed according to modern codes, these buildings can be considered successful because they achieved life safety under a large earthquake. Nonetheless, that success led or will lead to the demolition of thousands of buildings, displacing a large fraction of the population and creating enduring impacts to the local economy and society in general. This paper also includes a curated database with more than 9,000 photos and 30 videos documenting multiple types of structural and nonstructural damage, recovery efforts, and societal impacts collected by this reconnaissance team. This comprehensive database aims to support future studies and aid in the development of building codes to enhance community resilience in earthquake-prone regions.