The collapse of the 3-story building in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, which resulted in the death of one person and injury to 8 others, has brought the issue of occupational health and safety back to the agenda.
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, pointing out that buildings should be designed to be structurally strong, said, “There might be a structural engineering error or a failure to comply with the applied techniques.”
Dr. Bingöl: “A building does not collapse on its own spontaneously. It should not collapse even in an earthquake. Places with business opening permits should also be inspected afterward!”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Occupational Health and Safety Expert Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl evaluated the collapse of the 3-story building in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, which caused the death of one person and injury to 8 others.
Buildings must be designed to be structurally strong!
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, evaluating the collapsed building, pointed out that buildings should be designed to be structurally strong, stating, “There might be a structural engineering error or a failure to comply with the applied techniques. Even if the techniques were followed, there might have been an issue like a column being cut. A building collapsing spontaneously is not a normal situation. Usually, such collapses occur due to factors causing ground problems, such as excavation work or new construction nearby. However, in this incident, the building appears to have collapsed on its own. In this case, the collapse being caused by the shop downstairs is suspicious. It is probable that there is another situation here that disrupts structural integrity.”
Dr. Bingöl: “The main problem is ‘our failure to construct buildings using appropriate techniques’”
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl stated that the shop on the ground floor of the building might have been a factor in the collapse, adding, “However, it is necessary to identify the situation that disrupted the structural integrity. This will emerge as a result of the ongoing investigation. The building is not very old; it is stated to have been built in 1988. Our main problem stems from our failure to construct buildings using appropriate techniques. For this reason, we are carrying out reinforcement work, believing that buildings are weak, and trying to construct buildings in compliance with new earthquake regulations. This is why we are undergoing urban transformation. However, a four-story building collapsing on its own is not a very normal situation.”
The average age of a building is approximately 80 years…
“The average age of a building is approximately 80 years,” said Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, adding, “There are buildings remaining from the early Ottoman period. When you go abroad, you see them. There are buildings 100, 120, 150 years old. All of them are standing. They have gone through wars. World War II, World War I. They are standing. But our buildings, constructed in 1985, 1988, 1975, even if they don't collapse on their own, they collapse when shaken by a small earthquake. They collapse when a building is constructed next to them. These indicate that we are not complying with technical specifications. The concrete structure of the building, the ground structure, ground surveys, the column system – all of these must be done properly. We must not forget that we are in an earthquake zone. The appearance of this building is a warning for us. We need to consider what state we would be in during any earthquake, based on this building, and take precautions.”
Places with business opening permits should also be inspected afterward
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl pointed out that it is not possible for a place without a business opening permit to operate, adding that municipalities should not grant these permits where risk is observed, and that places with business opening permits should also be inspected afterward.
“Under normal circumstances, when a building is constructed in accordance with construction techniques, it should not collapse. A building does not collapse on its own spontaneously. It should not collapse even in an earthquake,” said Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, stating that columns might have been cut, but other reasons could also have occurred.
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, reminding that ground surveys are also important, said, “The building’s construction technique is also important. All of these need to be considered together.”
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl added that, within the scope of urban transformation, it is now necessary to build buildings that will not collapse.