Seismic Response of a Damaged Multi-Story RC Building During the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

Abstract

Post-earthquake field investigations provide significant contributions to earthquake-resistant building design. Especially after devastating earthquakes, determining the damage levels in buildings is an important issue for structural engineering. The Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which occurred on 6 February 2023, had a devastating impact over a wide area. Numerous reinforced concrete buildings collapsed or were severely damaged. Significant damage was observed not only in older buildings but also in newer ones. Even buildings that were yet to be in service suffered significant damage. This study examines the structural damage of a newly constructed and severely damaged after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes 13-story reinforced concrete building in Malatya province. The damage caused by the earthquake was investigated through field observations. Concrete core samples were taken from the damaged building, and reinforcement checks were performed using a rebar scanner. Nonlinear time-history analyses were conducted using the measured data. The results of the numerical analyses were compared with site observations of earthquake-induced damage. The results obtained from the nonlinear analyses appear to be consistent with the field observations.