Impact of soil conditions and seismic codes on collapsed structures during the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: An in-depth study of 400 reinforced concrete buildings

• Published in: Soil dynamics and earthquake engineering (1984) 2025-03, Vol.190, p.109119, Article 109119
• Main Authors: Sivrikaya, Osman, Türker, Emel, Cüre, Evrim, Ertürk Atmaca, Esin, Angin, Zekai, Başağa, Hasan Basri, Altunişik, Ahmet Can
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Damages; Earthquake codes; Kahramanmaraş earthquakes; Reinforced concrete buildings; Soil conditions
• ISSN: 0267-7261
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soildyn.2024.109119

Türkiye has a history full of devastating earthquakes from past to present. The February 6, 2023, earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık and Elbistan, with magnitudes of Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6, were among the most destructive in recent history, impacting 11 provinces and causing severe structural damage, especially in regions close to the fault line. Within the scope of this study, the 400 reinforced concrete buildings that collapsed due to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Hatay, Gaziantep were examined in terms of seismic codes and soil conditions. The evolution of the Codes on Buildings to be Built in Disaster Areas (1975 and 1997-8), Code on Buildings to be Built in Earthquake Zones (2007) to which the relevant reinforced concrete buildings are subject, and Türkiye Building Earthquake Code (2018) were discussed. The differences between the local soil conditions in these codes were revealed and it was evaluated how these local soil properties affect the seismic vulnerability of buildings. This study's findings highlight the critical role of the soil conditions on seismic vulnerability of buildings in earthquake-prone regions. They also offer valuable insights into developing strategies to enhance the structural resilience of similar buildings in other earthquake regions against future seismic events. •An examination is carried out on 400 collapsed RC buildings on February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye earthquake.•The related codes and soil conditions of the collapsed RC buildings are evaluated.•The effect of soil conditions on the seismic fragility is investigated.