“Substandard Construction” May Have Played Role in Earthquake Devastation

Several reports reveal “old structures and substandard construction practices” may have played a role in the high number of casualties — including approximately 2,000 in Türkiye — resulting from three catastrophic earthquakes on February 6 in Türkiye and Syria, Construction Week Middle East reports. An expert panel warned in 2021 that 200,000 buildings in Istanbul had a “medium- to high-level risk of collapsing.” Use of substandard materials, poor design and failure to follow construction standards make buildings more prone to collapse, reports and experts said, adding that other factors include population density and how severely the ground is shaken. The earthquakes that recently struck Türkiye and Syria were magnitude 7.8, 7.6 and 6.0 and included multiple aftershocks. The Construction Week Middle East report pointed to Japan, which began enforcing earthquake-proof construction measures after World War II, as a point of reference. In Japan, earthquake-proof buildings typically include concrete cores, diagonal dampers, steel beams and columns (rather than concrete), dampers, pendulums, mesh and made-to-break T-joints.