Field Observations for Industrial Buildings After 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquakes

On February 6th, 2023, East Anatolian Fault system in Turkiye caused a severe earthquake sequence with moment magnitudes (Mw) of 7.7 and 7.6 at the epicenter of Kahramanmaras, affecting 11 provinces and a significant portion of Turkey’s industrial community. A reconnaissance team was assembled in the days following the earthquake sequence to visit the industrial districts in the five provinces of the affected area: Adana, Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Iskenderun, and Hatay. While the performance and functionality of 131 industrial buildings (59 precast reinforced concrete buildings) were inspected using the proposed data-collection protocols, several semi-structured interviews with industrial representatives were conducted to gather information on industrial buildings’ damage and functionality states. The inspections and interviews established that the earthquake sequence had a severe impact on industrial buildings, resulting in substantial financial losses and long-term business interruptions. Precast concrete industrial buildings built before 2000 were found to be particularly vulnerable. The connection failures between columns and beams were the most widespread damage cause. Empirical fragility curves connecting seismic demands to the performance (structural and non-structural) and functionality states of the inspected precast reinforced concrete industrial buildings were derived based on the post-earthquake damage data collected during the reconnaissance mission. The field observations and proposed fragility models will be a step towards resilient industrial buildings in Turkiye.