THE EVOLUTION OF EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT TIMBER CONSTRUCTIONS IN ANATOLIA BASED ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA

Abstract

Turkey has confronted numerous severe and destructive earthquakes for centuries because of being located on the Mediterranean Seismic Belt. Proven to be safe due to their lightness and ductile nature, wooden buildings have gained importance in the course of time in this land. In this paper, earthquake-resistant timber constructions and the use of wooden material as an absorbing element for seismic forces in Anatolia and Thrace are investigated based on the historical development process with the help of the archaeological data. The seismic structure, forests and timber residential placements of Turkey are studied in relation with each other at first. Accordingly the sustainable development process of architectural plan types and structural systems that are able to withstand earthquakes were mentioned under the light of archaeological findings. The structural characteristics that render a traditional timber building earthquake-resistant were researched according to the regional distribution, material and structural features and the most advanced structural systems used in both timber and timber-masonry composite systems were demonstrated as living examples today.