Izmit 1999

Izmit 1999

Rebuilding Izmit

If the city's building had been more shock absorbent there wouldn't have been as much damage.

Those who had homes were afraid to go outside of an aftershock.

Those who stayed tried to rebuild the area.

After the earthquake tent cities were set up to house the homeless.

Why did the buldings fall

Cheaply build housing was mainly responsible for the high death toll.

65% of buildings in Turkey were constructed without an official permit.

Older buildings made of solid material withstood it. Mud brick structures folded like card houses.

protecting buildings for earthquakes

Other buildings are put on springs and rubber pads.

Buildings can be cut away or isolated from the ground, letting the ground shake under them.

Steel bars are added to brittle concrete during construction to increase its ductility.

Engineers have made it that the structures have flexibility and ductility.

Events of earthquake

Hundreds of schools and hospitals were damaged.

The earthquake measured 7.4 on the richter scale.

An earthquake with a depth of 17 km and with its epicentre at about 11km from Izmit.

Over 60000 residential buildings and 10000 businesses were destroyed.