| The August 17, 1999 Kocaeli, Turkey earthquake (Mw = 7.4) provides an exceptional
opportunity to investigate both the effects of local soil conditions on
damage patterns under strong shaking conditions, and the performance of
building foundations in areas that experienced ground failure. The severity
of ground failure and structural damage in the City of Adapazari was especially
dramatic. It triggered a series of field surveys from a number of
reconnaissance teams, including the US-Turkey
NSF geotechnical team. These preliminary reconnaissance efforts
now warrant follow-up documentation to record key observations of building
and ground performance. Ground failure in Adapazari resulted principally
from soil liquefaction and ground softening. Hence, this study will
advance the profession’s understanding of these phenomena and their
effects on structures. The primary goal of this study is to develop well-documented case histories of building performance at sites undergoing severe ground failure, so that the profession can use these case histories to advance our understanding of these phenomena and enhance our ability to numerically simulate the associated physical processes. A parallel goal is to provide a comprehensive record of observed building and ground performance data in Adapazari so that the lessons learned from specific case histories can be generalized. |