Unfortunately, especially today, we constantly hear news of destruction caused by earthquakes. This destruction both spiritually and materially It happens.

Have you ever thought? Why do old buildings always survive? Are new buildings being demolished? We got the answer to this question from the civil engineer.

“The materials and construction techniques used in old buildings are superior to today’s conditions because of certain characteristics.”

According to the civil engineer; Even though today’s technology is much more advanced, economic and financial expectations Furthermore, due to material supply and rising labor costs, structures are built with expectations on many aspects other than safety and longevity. So it is logical that these problems are decreasing compared to the past.

He describes the effect of the ingredients as follows:

“Since there were not many alternatives and lighter equivalents of the ancient materials, structures were built with solid rock and stone materials obtained from nature and their derivatives. The lifespan of a stone in nature also determined the lifespan of the material. Clearly, natural materials are superior to composite materials made in laboratory environments today in terms of durability and adaptability to multiple environmental conditions. This superiority makes the structures superior when used as basic materials for the buildings.”

He also touches on construction techniques:

The load distribution is carried out on solid materials with the arched structure logic, which was generally determined in old buildings and is still valid. geometric advantages It happened by eye. “When this load distribution was done geometrically well in materials with high load-bearing strength, the margin of error was reduced to a lower level because the principles of working together rather than the connection between them were taken into account.”

“Instead, today the ability to make concrete and iron work together, such as reinforced concrete, and to produce without losing their load-bearing capacity while working cannot be fully achieved. If this is the case, no design has been made to achieve a safety coefficient higher than the safety coefficient in the old construction. General It will not collapse due to earthquake damage in the next 30 to 40 years It’s by design.”

The reason for this is both the economy and the conscious obsolescence that raw materials offer us.

According to our engineer everything has financial value In today’s world it is a priority that the building fulfills its function and consumes a minimum of money and time.

In the past, the mentality was to leave a lasting legacy, other than money, and to let states see themselves. building structures with a solid history because he wants to. For example the Hagia Sophia; He concludes his words by saying that it is an unforgettable building that we are still curious about in terms of materials, techniques and duration of the 21st century, and that is visited by thousands of people every day.

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