RESIDENTIAL RETROFITTING IN İSTANBUL – REALITIES IN BAKIRKÖY

The feasibility study funded by the Government of Turkey through a World Bank loan is part of the Marmara Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction project and is aimed at mitigating seismic risks in the municipality of Istanbul and reducing the social, economic and financial impacts of potential future earthquakes. The structural retrofitting (strengthening) of 369 apartment buildings in the municipality of Bakırköy in İstanbul was examined, highlighting the realities that must be addressed to make retrofitting happen. These realities include highly variable construction quality, physical, planning and legal constraints, an imperfect building controls regime, owner attitudes, the costs and benefits of retrofitting, and the challenge of finding viable funding mechanisms. The study involved investigations into the seismological and geotechnical conditions, preparation of as-built condition surveys, structural analyses, earthquake performance assessment and development of possible retrofitting solutions. The investigation of social impacts was a key component, as was a pioneering analysis of the benefits and costs of retrofitting. By formulating realistic solutions to real buildings, valuable information has been developed to help owners and authorities to decide on viable approaches for achieving wide-scale retrofitting in Turkey and elsewhere