New construction regulation in İstanbul for earthquake resistance

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Mezzanine floors will be forbidden and basements will be obligatory in buildings with more than two floors to be newly built in İstanbul according to a new regulation introduced in the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) municipality council.

Buğra Gökçe, the deputy general secretary of İBB informed that the amendments in the construction regulation were prepared in line with the views of the experts and scientists.

If the new regulation is adopted by the municipality council, basement floors will be obligatory in İstanbul in buildings with more than 2 floors.

Mezzanine floors impair the symmetry of a building and produce the same effect as a short column, therefore they are one factor that may cause a building to collapse in an earthquake.

Another undesirable thing in the buildings is having the ground floor high, say 4,5 meters, and building a mezzanine floor inside, which, the deputy general secretary says is very common in Turkey. However, this again impairs the symmetry of the building.

A basement floor is one factor that strengthens the joining of a building to the soil, and regulations oblige basement floors to be built in four or six-floor buildings in the country. But in İstanbul, with the new regulation, a basement floor will be obliged for each building with more than two floors.

Earthquake containers required

Another new provision in the regulation will be obliging buildings with more than a hundred independent sections or those built on parcels larger than 2000 square meters to have an earthquake container. And infrastructure for basic needs such as toilets, clean water, etc. will be obligatory in the locations identified as the meeting point after an earthquake.

The buildings constructed before August 12, 2001, that do not comply with the national earthquake regulation for buildings will not be able to get an occupancy permit. The building that bears risk will be reinforced or renewed. All constructions will be subject to a building permit. Extensions to buildings will be further limited. (ME/PE)