Seismic performance of school buildings in the 6 February 2023 Türkiye earthquakes

The February 2023 Türkiye earthquakes caused severe damage in many school buildings. This study assessed the seismic performance of 14 reinforced concrete (RC) school buildings affected by the earthquakes, based on field survey data. The survey revealed several structural deficiencies of the damaged buildings, including the absence of RC shear walls, inadequate reinforcement detailing, and poor construction quality. Extensive damage of masonry infills was also observed. The observed damage was correlated with the intensity of recorded ground motions and relevant vulnerability indices. Seismic analysis of a 5-storey case study school building showed that a high seismic demand, combined with construction flaws, likely exacerbated the damage. The study highlights the need for mitigating the seismic vulnerability of mid-rise RC school buildings with a moment frame SFRS by providing adequate amount of RC shear walls. This study emphasizes the need for implementing school retrofitting initiatives in Canadian provinces with high seismic hazard.