While earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay caused the destruction of thousands of buildings in many cities, many discussions about the construction sector continue. Industry professionals draw attention to the need to switch to prefabricated and steel-constructed structures in our country as well as in the USA.
Severe earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, which took place as of February 6, caused irreparable losses. In the report dated February 16, prepared by the General Directorate of Construction Works of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, it was stated that 11 of a total of 717 thousand 614 buildings in 90 provinces were determined to be urgently demolished, heavily damaged and demolished buildings. This picture brought up many issues related to the buildings and construction sector in Turkey, a country located in an earthquake zone. Karmod CEO Mehmet Çankaya, who drew attention to the necessity of changing the construction models in order to build strong structures against earthquakes, pointed out that more reliable options such as steel construction and prefabricated structures with horizontal architectural models should be used, as is practiced in the United States (USA). .
“Prefabricated and steel construction come to the fore in safe building models”
In his statement on the subject, Mehmet Çankaya said that the weakness of reinforced concrete buildings, many of which were heavily damaged even if they were not demolished, emerged and said, “The fact that some of the destroyed buildings were built according to the current earthquake regulations shows that we should turn to safe housing models. Among these models, prefabricated or steel constructions stand out as important alternatives. As Karmod, which has been operating in the field of prefabricated building technologies for nearly 40 years, we can say that the production infrastructure of our country is quite sufficient to meet the housing deficit.” said.
“Our country has an advanced production network in both models”
Karmod CEO Mehmet Çankaya stated that in addition to prefabricated houses in the local market, steel models have reached the highest level with advanced technology, he continued his words by stating that earthquake resistant structures can be built in both models:
“While the main carrier system in prefabricated houses consists of steel metals, in steel houses, besides the carrier poles, the wall frames are also made of steel metals. While the roof system is built with the same steel carriers in both models, the only difference that distinguishes the wall structure system is the wall block system. This shows us that prefabricated structures are as safe as steel constructions, contrary to popular belief.”
Light steel prefabricated houses are built 70 percent faster
Mehmet Çankaya said, “Construction times, which take months in classical construction methods such as reinforced concrete, are considerably shorter in prefabricated buildings. While almost all of the classical reinforced concrete houses are produced on site, prefabricated houses are produced in completely modern facilities. The quality control systems used in production also make prefabricated houses safer. Prefabricated houses, which are prepared as pre-production in the factory environment, have a construction time up to 70 percent faster than other models.” he said.
“We are ready to support the village house and damaged areas”
Karmod CEO Mehmet Çankaya said, “While creating new living spaces, one or two-storey prefabricated and light steel house models in horizontal architecture should definitely be evaluated. As Karmod Prefabrik Yapı Teknolojileri, we have developed many ready-made house models that can be used in mass housing projects. We have designed residences specially shaped for the living culture and climatic conditions in different regions of our country. We are ready to support the village house project and the reconstruction of the region, including the areas damaged by the earthquake.”