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Structural damages of the May 19, 2011, Kütahya–Simav earthquake in Turkey

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Abstract

Reconnaissance observations are presented on the building damage caused by the May 19, 2011, Kütahya–Simav earthquake in Western Turkey as well as an overview of strong ground motion data recorded during the earthquake is given. According to Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey, the magnitude of the earthquake is 5.7 in local magnitude scale. Although the earthquake can be regarded as a moderate event when considering its magnitude and strong motion recordings, it caused excessive structural damage to buildings in Simav district and several villages in the near vicinity. During the field investigation, different types of structural damage were observed mainly in the reinforced concrete frame buildings with infill walls and masonry buildings with various types of construction materials. Observed damage resulted from several deficiencies in structural and non-structural components of the buildings. Poor construction materials and workmanship, non-conforming earthquake-resistant design and construction techniques and non-ductile detailing are the main reasons for such an extensive damage, as observed in many past earthquakes in Turkey.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the anonymous reviewers for their detailed review of the manuscript and providing valuable comments and suggestions. Special thanks are extended to Professor Polat Gülkan at Çankaya University and Dr. Erol Kalkan at USGS for their valuable comments and suggestions. We also thank Bekir Murat Tekin and Recai F. Kartal at AFAD for their help in preparing the maps, and T. Selçuk Köksal at AFAD for his help during field inspections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earthquake Department, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, 06510, Ankara, Turkey

    Nazan Yılmaz

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Anadolu University, 26555, Eskisehir, Turkey

    Özgür Avşar

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  1. Nazan Yılmaz
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  2. Özgür Avşar
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Correspondence to Nazan Yılmaz.

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Yılmaz, N., Avşar, Ö. Structural damages of the May 19, 2011, Kütahya–Simav earthquake in Turkey. Nat Hazards 69, 981–1001 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0747-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0747-2

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