Two simultaneous earthquakes occurred in the Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık and Kahramanmaraş-Elbistan districts of Turkey on February 6, 2023, and with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, respectively. These events caused the highest estimated loss recorded in Turkey within the last century from natural disasters. The key reason for the extensive loss was the proximity of eleven cities to the earthquake epicenters. Middle East Technical University teams investigated the building sites in Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Adiyaman and Adana. The ground motion recordings revealed that in certain locations of Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, the ground motion levels exceeded the maximum credible earthquake level defined for a return period of 2,475 years in the Turkish Earthquake Code. Residential building performance was investigated with respect to the construction year, which is a good indicator of compliance with modern seismic codes and inspection procedures. About 97% of the collapsed buildings were constructed prior to 2000, whereas over 5,000 buildings, which were built after 2000, collapsed or required urgent demolition. Most of the buildings with minor or greater structural damage sustained heavy infill wall damage rendering occupancy impossible. Aside from damage in older construction with significant structural deficiencies, the damage in some of the more recent and better constructed buildings was observed to be surprisingly poor. This can be attributed to the level of ground motion, significant ductility demands, poor material and workmanship and damage to non-structural elements. With the estimated total loss of above 100 billion dollars and over 50,000 casualties, the current seismic design criterion based on ductility and acceptance of structural damage should be re-evaluated to ensure a more resilient urban environment in high seismic regions.

2023 年 2 月 6 日，土耳其卡赫拉曼马拉什-帕扎尔奇克和卡赫拉曼马拉什-埃尔比斯坦地区同时发生了两场地震，震级分别为 7.7 级和 7.6 级。这些事件造成了土耳其上个世纪以来自然灾害造成的最高估计损失。造成巨大损失的主要原因是十一个城市靠近震中。中东技术大学团队调查了加济安泰普、卡赫拉曼马拉斯、哈塔伊、阿德亚曼和阿达纳的建筑工地。地震动记录显示，在加济安泰普、卡赫拉曼马拉什和哈塔伊的某些地点，地震动水平超过了土耳其地震法规中规定的2,475年重现期的最大可信地震水平。根据施工年份对住宅建筑的性能进行了调查，这是符合现代抗震规范和检查程序的良好指标。大约97%的倒塌建筑物是2000年之前建造的，而2000年之后建造的5000多座建筑物倒塌或需要紧急拆除。大多数结构损坏较轻或较大的建筑物都遭受了严重的填充墙损坏，导致无法入住。除了具有严重结构缺陷的旧建筑的损坏外，一些较新且结构较好的建筑物的损坏情况出人意料地严重。这可归因于地面运动水平、显着的延展性要求、劣质材料和工艺以及对非结构元件的损坏。