OBSERVATIONS ON THE FAILURE MECHANISMS OF MASONRY STRUCTURESCAUSED BY THE KAHRAMANMARAS EARTHQUAKE ON FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Abstract

In this study, the failure modes of masonry structures after the earthquake occured in Kahramanmaraş
on February 6, 2023 were investigated by fieldwork. In this study, information was given about the building
stock in the Turkey and the Middle East countries, and a literature including studies examining the general
failure modes in masonry structures was presented. After presenting the ground acceleration data and earthquake
parameters measured during the earthquake, damage distributions in historical masonry structures and masonry
structures used as residences were examined. Failures were examined as out-of-plane, in-plane, and corner
damages. In the examinations, it has been determined that the failure mechanisms are trigerred by unqualified
wall-slab and wall-floor connections, insufficient axial load and material-strength, poor workmanship and lack
of engineering service. In addition, how an earthquake resistant masonry structure could be build also discussed.