Geotechnical earthquake engineering assesment of the Batman district and its surroundings

Seismic hazard analyses, which are in frequent use in geotechnical earthquake engineering, are among the most vital engineering applications in such construction projects for various purposes; dams, hydroelectric power plants, roads, viaducts, bridges, schools and hospitals. In this study, probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses were made based on tectonic and seismic data, along with records of the magnitudes (Mw: Moment magnitude) of all earthquakes that have struck the Turkey province of Batman and its vicinities from 1900 to the present day. The study area was a circle of 100 km radius with the city center of Batman at the center. In the probabilistic method that was adopted, the crisis 2015 software package was used to calculate the peak ground accelerations for the study area based on design earthquakes, while in the deterministic approach, the peak ground acceleration values found using five different new-generation attenuation relationships for a civil engineering constructions such as dam, tunnel,viaduct in the study area were compared with the values obtained from the probabilistic method. The probabilistic method evaluation defined acceleration values of 112.7 cm/sn² (0.11 g.) and 64.36 cm/sn² (0.06 g.) for the Makimum Design Earthquake and Operating Basis Earthquake, respectively. The deterministic method, on the other hand, determined that the peak acceleration value obtained on the basis of designs for the Kozluk Segment, as one of the fault lines with the potential to affect the study field, was (PGA)= 85.31 cm/sn² (0.08 g.). It was thus decided that a Seismic Design Coefficient (k) of 0.05 would be appropriate for any potential engineering projects to be carried out in the study area. It is recommended that the findings of the present study be used as a guide for the safe design of new engineering structures that would, if damaged, result in significant losses in the study area, where there is potential for large tectonic effects caused by plate movements.