Investigating Ground Motion Records from 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquake Sequence in Structural Context

October 18, 2023 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST

Abstract

On February 6, 2023, a series of significant earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 struck southern Turkiye and northern Syria, resulting in extensive damage and a high number of casualties in both countries. Additionally, hundreds of aftershocks followed the mainshock events, with a major aftershock registering a magnitude of 6.3 occurring two weeks later, leading to further losses. These seismic events were recorded by a dense seismic network available in the region. This presentation will scrutinize the characteristics of observed ground motion records and investigate the role of ground motion intensity, frequency content, directivity, and directionality on the performance of building structures. Insights obtained from the ground shaking-related damage observations can offer valuable lessons for the resilient design of future structures and contribute to the development of more precise ground motion indicators for damage estimation.

About the Presenter

Osman Ozbulut is a Professor of Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on advancing a new generation of resilient and sustainable civil infrastructure through innovations in structural systems, materials, and sensing technologies. He has conducted extensive research on developing and characterizing shape memory alloy (SMA)-based self-centering passive energy dissipation and seismic isolation devices, aimed at mitigating damage and enhancing the post-event functionality of buildings exposed to seismic hazards. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Resilience Division (IRD) Emerging Technologies Committee, the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Seismic Effects Committee, and the Structural Control and Sensing Committee. Additionally, he serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Intelligent Material Systems & Structures.