Seismic risk mitigation practices in school buildings in Istanbul, Turkey

In 1999, 820 schools were affected by the Kocaeli earthquake in Istanbul, 22 of which were subsequently demolished. This paper describes the impact of the earthquake on school buildings in Istanbul and the subsequent rehabilitation and reconstruction activities. It assesses the vulnerability of the existing school building stock in Istanbul, providing an estimated budget for strengthening buildings that predate the 1998 Building Code and a review of the methodology, criteria and priorities required to implement such a project. The paper concludes with recommendations for implementing a practical macro-project plan for improving seismic safety in schools.