First Hand Observations from the February 6th Türkiye Earthquake

Two large earthquakes with a moment magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 hit eastern Türkiye and north Syria on February 6, 2023. The epicenter of the first earthquake was Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık, where the second was in Kahramanmaraş-Elbistan. The two earthquakes were approximately nine hours apart and their effect extended to 11 provinces in southern Türkiye causing massive collapses and damage to buildings, bridges, airports, ports, retaining structures, hydraulic structures, lifelines, etc. More than 100,000 buildings collapsed or heavily damaged, 15 bridges out of 1000 bridges were affected.  The earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks that significantly affected damaged buildings and infrastructure and caused the collapse of more buildings days after the major earthquake. During the field visit, right after the earthquake, although it is hard to investigate collapsed buildings, parts of these buildings were looked at closely and investigated; damaged buildings were closely investigated, and buildings during construction were investigated as well. Different types of failures were observed such as structural, architectural, and geotechnical. These failures will be presented and analyzed with recommendations.

1 CE credit will be issued for this event. CE certificates will be emailed to all attendees within a week after the event.

Learning Objectives

• Understanding causes of failures to buildings and bridges
• How to avoid such failures
• Understanding Turkish code evolution and requirements
  
   

Location

Cliff Dwellers Club -- 200 S. Michigan Ave, 22nd Floor, Chicago, IL 

Menu

• Bibb Lettuce and Belgian Endive, Asparagus and Orange and Grapefruit Sections; Walnut and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Sautéed Lemon Sole With a Lobster Sauce
• Hot Apple Tart
  
   

Presentation time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm; Cocktail hour: 5 – 6 pm

Registration

In Person:  Member - $75; Non-Member - $115

Live Streaming: Member - $35; Non-Member - $50

Registration for in-person attendance closes Friday, December 1st at 9am.

Registration for online attendance closes Monday, December 4th at 3pm.

Contact staff@seaoi.org to inquire about registration after the above date, though note that registration is not guaranteed.

About the Speaker

Mustafa Mahamid

Research Associate Professor - University of Illinois at Chicago

Research Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a structural engineering consultant. He is the editor-in-chief of the Structural Engineering Handbook 5th, Cross-Laminated Timber Design, 1st Edition, and the upcoming Steel, Concrete, and Composite Design of Tall and Supertall Buildings.

He is a licensed Structural Engineer (SE) and Professional Engineer (PE & P.Eng) in multiple states in the US and Canada. He is a fellow of ASCE, SEI and ACI.