PERFORMANCE OF MASONRY BUILDINGS DURING THE FEBRUARY, 2017 AYVACIK (ÇANAKKALE) EARTHQUAKES

Performance of masonry buildings during the February 2017, Ayvacık (Çanakkale) earthquakes are evaluated in this study. Ayvacık is a township located 68 km south from the province of Çanakkale in Turkey. A majority of the buildings in the affected region are built in masonry. Most of the masonry buildings were formed with random or coursed stone without any reinforcement. Many of such buildings were damaged or collapsed. The cracking and failure patterns of the buildings are examined and interpreted relative to current provisions for earthquake resistance of masonry structures. The damages are due to several reasons such as the poor construction quality and poor workmanship of the buildings. In addition to these reasons, the five earthquakes hit the buildings within seven days, causing progressive damage.