Within the scope of the building inventory studies of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Bayraklı and approximately 100 thousand buildings in Bornova were examined. METU Earthquake Research Center Instructor Prof. Dr. Barış Binici stated that Izmir was a pioneer with this study and said, “Three-dimensional analyses of the examined buildings are made and a ranking and prioritization is made regarding their vulnerability. The municipality will now have information on which areas to prioritize and how to proceed to the next step.”
The most comprehensive earthquake research and risk reduction projects in Turkey, initiated by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality within the scope of the strategy to create sustainable living spaces, continue in a multi-faceted manner. The Metropolitan Municipality, which carries out the building inventory, seismicity-tsunami research and microzonation studies together, will complete the Earthquake Master Plan with the data of all studies.
The Metropolitan Municipality, the most affected by the October 30, 2020 Izmir earthquake Bayraklı and completed the building inventory study it started in Bornova in both districts. The behavior of residential buildings during a possible earthquake was determined with scientific methods. Building identity documents were created for approximately 100 thousand buildings. With the building identity document, fast and direct access to information such as the license, architectural project, and the nearest assembly area about that building was provided. Building inventory studies will be completed in 2025 KarşıyakaIt will continue for 22 thousand 767 houses located in.
“İzmir became a pioneer with this systematic work”
Prof. Dr. Barış Binici, Lecturer at the Structural Mechanics Laboratory of the METU Earthquake Research Center, who is involved in the building inventory studies of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Development Department, said that the building inventory studies provide important data for Izmir. Barış Binici said, “The purpose of the studies is actually to create databases of buildings. Today is the information and data age. Everything revolves around data. We do not collect systematic data on our buildings very much. Izmir was a pioneer with this systematic study.”
“It will provide a basis for risk studies”
Barış Binici, who stated that they proceeded with street scans in the regions where the work was carried out and reached the projects of the existing buildings, said, “A serious database was created. Thanks to this database, the vulnerability of the structures and their risk status were determined. It is necessary to see the work here as a preliminary assessment. This will provide a basis for risk studies that will guide local governments or state levels. Not only information about earthquakes, but also holistic information about the building such as insulation was obtained.”
“The next step is known”
Binici, who explained that the data collected in the field will be evaluated and the buildings will be prioritized for transformation according to whether they are risky or not, said: “Here, performance tests were not performed on individual buildings according to the earthquake regulations. However, three-dimensional analyses were performed on all of them, and a ranking and prioritization was made in terms of their vulnerability. When these are placed on the map, the municipality will now have information on which areas to prioritize in terms of transformation or reinforcement requirements and how to proceed to the next step.”
