Seismic Performance Improvement of Masonry Houses

Summary

Development and dissemination of strengthening techniques for masonry houses of poor residents living under seismic risk in Turkey in an affordable and sustainable manner by using scrap tires.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Turkey, located in the conjunction of major plates, is prone to intense and frequent earthquakes. Poor residents of masonry houses (51% of building stock) in Turkey and in similar countries generally construct their own vulnerable houses without engineering services. Research is mostly concentrated on concrete/steel building safety. Life losses during frequent earthquakes can be economically minimized by recycling otherwise useless scrap tires in an environment friendly approach.

How will this project solve this problem?

The project has 3 basic stages: Laboratory Test, Field Application, and Dissemination of Results. Development of alternative techniques and dissemination/training of poor/undereducated residents (CDD) are the most important activities.

Potential Long Term Impact

Target house population of the project in Turkey is about 4 million houses out of 7.8. Strengthening only 5% of them might secure some 200,000 houses and about 1 million people and their belongings. About 40 million scrap tires would be recycled.

Project Message

My country suffered over 18000 deaths over the last 20 years and close to 60,000 since 1958. Poor residents of masonry houses should no longer see earthquake losses as an act of God and take measures.
- Ahmet Türer, Assistant Professor at METU, Project Coordinator

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources