Izmit 1999
Events of the earthquake
It happened in the early hours on the morning of august 17 1999 at 3:01 am
The earthquake originating at the depth of 17km
The earthquake measured 7.4 on the richter scale
It produced 60 km of cracks on earth's surface
its epicenter about 11km away from izmit
Rebuilding Izmit
Tent cities were set up to house the homeless
Those who had homes were afraid to go inside for fear of aftershocks.
Many people moved and never returned
Those who stayed tried to rebuild the area yet did not work due to how severe the damage was
Why did the buildings fall
65% of all buildings in turkey are constructed without a permit
The buildings where made with poor materials that could not withstood the earthquake
Mud
Brick
Protecting buildings from earthquakes
Necessary to build new shock- absorbent structures and reinforce older buildings
structural engineers rely on basic structural properties, such as flexibility and ductility
springs and rubber pads on the bottom of buildings