Ekonomist – Betona alternatif aranıyor: Çelik yapılar depreme karşı ne kadar güvenli?
Press Release - April 29, 2025 - Ekonomist.com.tr
After the recent earthquakes in Istanbul, steel structures are back on the agenda due to their sustainability, low cost and faster construction. So how safe are steel structures against earthquakes?
The Kahramanmaras earthquakes, dubbed the "disaster of the century", once again revealed the inadequacy of housing materials, while it was seen that poor quality concrete and iron and incorrect engineering practices led to major disasters. While the fact that no steel structure collapsed in these earthquakes increased the interest in steel structures, the danger that risky reinforced concrete buildings may cause after the earthquakes that occurred in Istanbul last week is back on the agenda. Experts emphasized that concrete has serious damages due to its short life span, causing carbon emissions, not being recyclable and causing great losses during earthquakes, and reported that alternative products such as steel and wood should be used to survive earthquakes with less damage.
WORKMANSHIP ERRORS IN STEEL STRUCTURES ARE ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE
Melih Şimşek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, said in a statement to AA correspondent that the world building sector is rapidly industrializing and that the work done in the field is now carried out in a factory environment at the maximum level. Speaking about the advantages of steel, light steel and modular structures over traditional structures, Şimşek said that steel structures are independent of climatic conditions and are produced as precisely as machine parts in an industrial environment, and that workmanship errors are almost non-existent. Şimşek noted that in traditional structures, site and climatic conditions are limited to the capabilities of the selected craftsman and worker, and that repeated corrections in the field can cause loss of time and money.
7-10 TIMES MORE EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT
Melih Şimşek stated that steel structures are much more reliable than reinforced concrete and continued his words as follows: "Steel structures are 7-10 times lighter than traditional buildings and are equally resistant to earthquakes. They are built at least twice as fast as traditional houses. All architectural details preferred in traditional systems can be applied in steel structures. They save more energy and are more sustainable. They are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled. They do not consume the resources of future generations today. Considering their costs, steel structures are always more economical due to the areas gained. Especially in repetitive projects, this economy increases much more." Şimşek noted that buildings and the construction industry have a large enough share to cause 38 percent of total carbon emissions and said that the production of modular structures minimizes carbon emissions. Stating that steel structures do not require high water consumption like traditional ones, Şimşek emphasized that 90 percent of the materials can be recycled.
INTEREST IN STEEL STRUCTURES HAS INCREASED, BUT WE ARE NOT AT THE DESIRED LEVEL
Şimşek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, underlined that none of the steel buildings in the region were damaged or destroyed in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, and stated that steel structures are one of the main reasons why there is very little loss of life in severe earthquakes in countries such as Japan and Taiwan. Şimşek stated that the rate of steel structures in industrial buildings in Turkey has increased to 5 percent, but this rate is 1.5 percent in residential buildings, and made the following assessments: "When we look at other countries, we see that the rate of houses built with steel bearing systems is 50 percent in the USA and the UK, 30 percent in Germany and France, and over 50 percent in Iran. After the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, interest in steel structures increased, but we are never at the desired level. If some of the billions of dollars of resources allocated to construction and urban transformation are allocated to steel structures, housing can be realized in a very short time." Şimşek noted that millions of houses in Istanbul and across Turkey are waiting for transformation and added that Turkey has the capacity to produce at least 300 thousand steel houses annually.
WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS TO CONCRETE AGAINST EARTHQUAKES
Selman Özgün, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helmann Holding, stated that 6 million houses in Turkey currently need to be transformed, 1.5 million of which are in Istanbul, and that the number of houses that need to be urgently transformed in the megacity is around 600 thousand. Underlining that alternative materials to concrete should never be neglected in order to create earthquake-resistant cities, Özgün said, "The lifespan of most reinforced concrete structures is 60 years at most. After this period, we demolish and rebuild the houses. There is a possibility that our land will turn into a rubble dumping site in the future due to the rubble that comes out of here and cannot be recycled." Özgün emphasized that while stone and wooden buildings built hundreds of years ago are still standing, the fact that no reinforced concrete building can be inherited for the future should make people think. Stating that concrete is short-lived and cannot be recycled, Özgün said, "In addition, the damage it can cause in an earthquake is more destructive. For this reason, billions of dollars of our national wealth is wasted every year. For these reasons, we should focus on alternative products to concrete and prioritize steel, stone and wooden structures."
Press Release - April 29, 2025 - Ekonomistt.com.tr
After the recent earthquakes in Istanbul, steel structures are back on the agenda due to their sustainability, low cost and faster construction.
Following the recent earthquakes in Istanbul, steel structures are back on the agenda due to their sustainability, low cost and faster construction. The Kahramanmaras-centered earthquakes, dubbed the "disaster of the century", once again revealed the inadequacy of housing materials, while it was seen that poor quality concrete and iron and wrong engineering practices led to major disasters.
While the fact that no steel structures collapsed in these earthquakes increased interest in steel structures, the danger that risky reinforced concrete buildings may cause after the earthquakes that occurred in Istanbul last week is back on the agenda. Experts emphasized that concrete has serious damages due to its short life span, causing carbon emissions, not being recyclable and causing great losses during earthquakes, and reported that alternative products such as steel and wood should be used to survive earthquakes with less damage.
Workmanship errors are almost non-existent in steel structures
Melih Şimşek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, said in a statement to AA correspondent that the world building sector is rapidly industrializing and that the work done in the field is now carried out in a factory environment at the maximum level. Continued News Speaking about the advantages of steel, light steel and modular structures over traditional structures, Şimşek said that steel structures are produced independently of climatic conditions and precisely like machine parts in an industrial environment, and that labor errors are almost non-existent. Şimşek noted that in traditional structures, the site and climatic conditions are limited to the capabilities of the selected craftsman and worker, and that repeated corrections in the field can cause loss of time and money.
7-10 times more resistant to earthquakes
Melih Şimşek stated that steel structures are much more reliable than reinforced concrete and continued his words as follows: Steel structures are 7-10 times lighter than traditional buildings and are equally resistant to earthquakes. They are built at least twice as fast as traditional houses. All architectural details preferred in traditional systems can be applied in steel structures. They save more energy and are more sustainable. They are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled. They do not consume the resources of future generations today. Considering their costs, steel structures are always more economical due to the areas gained. Especially in repetitive projects, this economy increases much more.
Şimşek noted that buildings and the construction industry have a large enough share to cause 38 percent of total carbon emissions, and said that the production of modular structures minimizes carbon emissions. Stating that steel structures do not require high water consumption like traditional ones, Şimşek emphasized that 90 percent of the materials can be recycled.
Interest in steel structures has increased, but we are not at the desired level
Şimşek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, underlined that none of the steel buildings in the region were damaged or destroyed in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, and stated that steel structures are one of the main reasons why there is very little loss of life in severe earthquakes in countries such as Japan and Taiwan. Şimşek stated that the rate of steel structures in industrial buildings in Turkey has increased to 5 percent, but this rate is 1.5 percent in residential buildings, and made the following assessments: "When we look at other countries, we see that the rate of houses built with steel bearing systems is 50 percent in the USA and the UK, 30 percent in Germany and France, and over 50 percent in Iran. After the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, interest in steel structures increased, but we are never at the desired level. If some of the billions of dollars of resources allocated to construction and urban transformation are allocated to steel structures, housing can be realized in a very short time." Şimşek noted that millions of houses in Istanbul and across Turkey are waiting for transformation and added that Turkey has the capacity to produce at least 300 thousand steel houses annually.
We should prioritize alternative materials to concrete against earthquakes
Selman Özgün, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helmann Holding, stated that 6 million houses in Turkey currently need to be transformed, 1.5 million of which are in Istanbul, and that the number of houses that need to be urgently transformed in the megacity is around 600 thousand. Read More Özgün underlined that alternative materials to concrete should never be neglected in order to create earthquake-resistant cities and said, "The lifespan of most reinforced concrete structures is 60 years at most. After this period, we demolish and rebuild the houses. There is a possibility that our land will turn into a rubble dumping site in the future due to the rubble that comes out of here and cannot be recycled." Özgün emphasized that while stone and wooden buildings built hundreds of years ago are still standing, the fact that no reinforced concrete building can be inherited for the future should make people think. Stating that concrete is short-lived and cannot be recycled, Özgün said, "In addition, the damage it can cause in an earthquake is more destructive. For this reason, billions of dollars of our national wealth is wasted every year. For these reasons, we should focus on alternative products to concrete and prioritize steel, stone and wooden structures."
Press Reflection - April 29, 2025 - Milliyet.com.tr
After the recent earthquakes in Istanbul, steel structures are back on the agenda due to their sustainability, low cost and faster construction.
Following the recent earthquakes in Istanbul, steel structures are back on the agenda due to their sustainability, low cost and faster construction. The Kahramanmaras-centered earthquakes, dubbed the "disaster of the century", once again revealed the inadequacy of housing materials, while it was seen that poor quality concrete and iron and wrong engineering practices led to major disasters.
While the fact that no steel structures collapsed in these earthquakes increased interest in steel structures, the danger that risky reinforced concrete buildings may cause after the earthquakes that occurred in Istanbul last week is back on the agenda. Experts emphasized that concrete has serious damages due to its short life span, causing carbon emissions, not being recyclable and causing great losses during earthquakes, and reported that alternative products such as steel and wood should be used to survive earthquakes with less damage.
Workmanship errors are almost non-existent in steel structures
Melih Şimşek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, said in a statement to AA correspondent that the world building sector is rapidly industrializing and that the work done in the field is now carried out in a factory environment at the maximum level. Continued News Speaking about the advantages of steel, light steel and modular structures over traditional structures, Şimşek said that steel structures are produced independently of climatic conditions and precisely like machine parts in an industrial environment, and that labor errors are almost non-existent. Şimşek noted that in traditional structures, the site and climatic conditions are limited to the capabilities of the selected craftsman and worker, and that repeated corrections in the field can cause loss of time and money.
7-10 times more resistant to earthquakes
Melih Şimşek stated that steel structures are much more reliable than reinforced concrete and continued his words as follows: Steel structures are 7-10 times lighter than traditional buildings and are equally resistant to earthquakes. They are built at least twice as fast as traditional houses. All architectural details preferred in traditional systems can be applied in steel structures. They save more energy and are more sustainable. They are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled. They do not consume the resources of future generations today. Considering their costs, steel structures are always more economical due to the areas gained. Especially in repetitive projects, this economy increases much more.
Şimşek noted that buildings and the construction industry have a large enough share to cause 38 percent of total carbon emissions, and said that the production of modular structures minimizes carbon emissions. Stating that steel structures do not require high water consumption like traditional ones, Şimşek emphasized that 90 percent of the materials can be recycled.
Interest in steel structures has increased, but we are not at the desired level
Şimşek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, underlined that none of the steel buildings in the region were damaged or destroyed in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, and stated that steel structures are one of the main reasons why there is very little loss of life in severe earthquakes in countries such as Japan and Taiwan. Şimşek stated that the rate of steel structures in industrial buildings in Turkey has increased to 5 percent, but this rate is 1.5 percent in residential buildings, and made the following assessments: "When we look at other countries, we see that the rate of houses built with steel bearing systems is 50 percent in the USA and the UK, 30 percent in Germany and France, and over 50 percent in Iran. After the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, interest in steel structures increased, but we are never at the desired level. If some of the billions of dollars of resources allocated to construction and urban transformation are allocated to steel structures, housing can be realized in a very short time." Şimşek noted that millions of houses in Istanbul and across Turkey are waiting for transformation and added that Turkey has the capacity to produce at least 300 thousand steel houses annually.
We should prioritize alternative materials to concrete against earthquakes
Selman Özgün, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helmann Holding, stated that 6 million houses in Turkey currently need to be transformed, 1.5 million of which are in Istanbul, and that the number of houses that need to be urgently transformed in the megacity is around 600 thousand. Read More Özgün underlined that alternative materials to concrete should never be neglected in order to create earthquake-resistant cities and said, "The lifespan of most reinforced concrete structures is 60 years at most. After this period, we demolish and rebuild the houses. There is a possibility that our land will turn into a rubble dumping site in the future due to the rubble that comes out of here and cannot be recycled." Özgün emphasized that while stone and wooden buildings built hundreds of years ago are still standing, the fact that no reinforced concrete building can be inherited for the future should make people think. Stating that concrete is short-lived and cannot be recycled, Özgün said, "In addition, the damage it can cause in an earthquake is more destructive. For this reason, billions of dollars of our national wealth is wasted every year. For these reasons, we should focus on alternative products to concrete and prioritize steel, stone and wooden structures."