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ACI 133 Field Reconnaissance and Observations from the February 6, 2023, Earthquake in Southern Turkey (ACI Fall 2023, Boston, MA) It is relatively simple to assign the responsibility of the disaster caused by the Turkey Earthquakes of February 2023 to deficiencies in workmanship and lack of quality control. But there is a larger story behind the disaster, which is related the proportions of the damaged structures. Structural proportions, by and large, were not affected by construction quality. Instead, they were the result of design procedures that allow for large drift demands. It is well known that large drift demands in elements with inadequate detailing lead to structural failures. But large drift demands in buildings with well-detailed structures can also lead to problems in non-structural elements and structural instability. As a consequence, buildings with structures with inadequate proportions, i.e. structures without sufficient robustness to control drift, are buildings that are likely to respond poorly to earthquakes. In this presentation, the proportions of building structures surveyed over the last 31 years in 14 countries are compared in quantitative terms. These comparisons suggest that the frequency of failures observed in Turkey aligns with what has been observed elsewhere. This realization implies that all countries allowing the construction of RC structures without the robustness needed to control drift (to a fraction of the drift allowed today) are likely to see large damage frequencies in future earthquakes. It is urgent that the RC industry works with the rest of the profession to reduce seismic drift limits.


Upcoming Presentation

April 1 - 7

Improving Transportation Network Resiliency Using In-Situ Evaluation and Innovative Construction Methods
Presented by: Erik Zuker, HNTB

Presentation details

Concrete Bridge Resilience: Design, Construction, Evaluation and Retrofit (ACI Fall 2023, Boston, MA) In the coming years, transportation networks will experience unprecedented demands due to trends in freight as well as extreme weather driven by climate variability. These demands are set against a backdrop of infrastructure deterioration as many bridges reach the end of their intended service lives. The resiliency framework has allowed bridge owners to be proactive at every level from materials and detailing through retrofits, rapid replaceability and route redundancy. Two aspects of structural resiliency will be examined. Firstly, the use of technology to load test in-service culverts that are experiencing loads that they were not originally designed for. Information gained allows bridge owners to assess performance and potentially avoid major rehabilitation, diverting critical funds elsewhere. Separately, it may lead to removing postings which can improve freight network efficiency. Secondly, rapid replacement of single span bridges by filler beam structures will be discussed. These structures simplify logistics during erection, are less sensitive to supply chain issues due to allowable variation in beam size, are highly resistant to truck impact and are shallower than conventional spans. Rapid replaceability can prove consequential in returning to normal after an extreme weather event affects an entire region and strains the construction supply chain. Small bridges can also play an outsized role in network vulnerability.

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