Page Updated: 25-Sep-2006
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Assisting Turkey in earthquake-preparedness

The successful completion of a Science for Peace (SfP) project on “Seismic Assessment and Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings” was marked by a closing workshop held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 30 May to 1 June 2005. The project is one of a number of earthquake studies aimed at increasing earthquake-preparedness and people’s safety, which were recommended by a working group set up by the NATO Science Committee to support Turkey, in the wake of the two destructive earthquakes the country suffered in 1999.

The results of the SfP project provide engineers with the information needed to assess if a building is likely to be safe in an earthquake or is potentially vulnerable to damage. This allows structural seismic safety features to be introduced into existing buildings before an earthquake strikes. Innovative methods have been developed, such as reinforcing existing buildings with material containing carbon fibres.

Over four years, the project has brought together researchers working in all areas of earthquake-engineering from universities in Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹, Turkey and the United States.

The closing workshop focused on “Advances in Earthquake Engineering for Urban Risk Reduction”. It followed on from two previous workshops in Turkey organised under the project in Antalya in 2001 and in Izmir in 2003. Fifty participants took part in panel discussions and presented their latest research results. These presentations will be published in a future volume of the NATO Science Series complementing the proceedings of the Izmir workshop.

For further information: http://www.seru.metu.edu.tr/Istanbul/NATO_SfP_Workshop_index.htm

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¹ Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name