An architectural analysis of the seismic strengthening process of reinforced concrete educational buildings in Turkey: The case of Tokat Erbaa

People have always sought to take precautions against earthquakes which have been one of the most destructive types of natural disasters affecting humanity. Over half of Turkey's population live under earthquake risk due to the seismic structure of the country. The large majority of the structures in Turkey are built with reinforced concrete structural system and are affected negatively during earthquakes due to various reasons. Educational buildings are considered as high-priority buildings in terms of seismic performance. For this reason, there is an ongoing effort to assess and strengthen the existing stock of educational buildings in Turkey. This assessment and strengthening process is generally guided by the structural engineering discipline however the architectural design of these buildings is often significantly affected by the process. Additionally, in Turkey, the seismic strengthening process is considered as an opportunity to conduct improvements and make architectural additions to educational buildings to bring them to modern standards. In this thesis, firstly, a brief study of earthquake phenomenon and a review of the seismic characteristics of Tokat-Erbaa region is conducted to understand the context and history of seismic activity in the area. This was followed by a literature survey conducted on the seismic strengthening processes and methods of reinforced concrete educational buildings in Turkey according to the stipulations of Turkish Earthquake Code. Additionally a research was made on the current architectural standards and type-projects used in the design of reinforced concrete educational buildings in Turkey. A field survey was conducted on Atatürk Primary School, Hüseyin Özdilek Middle-school and Kemal Kıvırcıoğlu Primary and Middle-School located in Tokat Erbaa on which there is either a completed or ongoing seismic strengthening process. A comparative architectural analysis of these schools is conducted to evaluate the spatial characteristics of these schools before and after the seismic strengthening process.