Evaluation of awareness levels of construction workers in earthquake-resistant building production

Turkey is located on an active seismic belt, making structural safety a matter of significant societal importance. The aim of this thesis is to identify the causes of construction-related structural damage in the process of producing earthquake-resistant buildings and to determine the awareness levels of construction workers regarding this issue. The main hypothesis of the study is that deficiencies in workmanship stem from a lack of knowledge or negligence, which directly affects the seismic performance of buildings.The sample of the study consists of a total of 835 participants, including 293 concrete workers, 275 rebar workers, and 267 formwork workers, all of whom were involved in construction activities in the Malatya and Kahramanmaraş regions following the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed to assess awareness levels related to construction processes. Analyses conducted using the SPSS software revealed that a significant portion of the workers lacked fundamental structural knowledge, had limited understanding of project details, and frequently applied critical technical information incorrectly or inadequately on site.The findings indicate a clear need for education and application-oriented awareness programs targeting construction workers. In conclusion, the earthquake resistance of buildings depends not only on engineering calculations but also on the knowledge levels of the workers operating in the field. In this regard, the development of sustainable training and supervision policies for the construction workforce is strongly recommended.