Wooden architecture and earthquakes in Istanbul : a reconnaissance report and commentary on the performance of wooden structures in the Turkish earthquakes of 17 August and 12 November 1999

The widespread failure of reinforced concrete buildings in the Izmit (Kocaeli) earthquake of 17 August 1999 and Duzce earthquake of 12 November 1999 not only forced Turkish architects and engineers to reassess reinforced concrete construction, but pushed a few of them to reconsider a discarded technology, traditional Turkish wood construction. This paper aims to establish both a cultural and an engineering context in which to position historic wooden architecture in Turkey. It seeks to answer two questions: First, is there any evidence to suggest that these historic wooden structures were designed to resist earthquakes? We must turn to the historical record, look for coeval similarities around the world, and evaluate the surviving wooden buildings to propose an answer. Second, how well did wooden buildings perform in the recent Turkish earthquakes of 17 August and 12 November 1999? By evaluating the performance of Turkish wooden houses we can observe their strengths and weaknesses which will determine whether they are inherently safe in earthquakes. This paper is meant to open the scholarly dialogue concerning Turkish wooden architecture and earthquakes. I cannot present a complete study of this vast subject here but it is my hope that this paper will provoke further debate and in so doing encourage future research.