Sika raises public awareness with new video series

Sika is raising public awareness through videos it has produced and released. Within the scope of the project conducted with expert figures on the subject, videos featuring views on earthquake-resistant production and strengthening of Turkey's building stock are being broadcast on Sika's digital channels. In the video released this week, the views of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beyza Taşkın, Faculty Member of the Civil Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University, were included.

Care must be taken in material selection!

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beyza Taşkın, Faculty Member of the Civil Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University, stated: "The entire principle of strengthening depends on using the right material, in the right place, in the right way. First, when selecting material, attention must be paid to the following: How much importance does the selected brand place on R&D within its own organization, how regularly does it update itself and its product range, what will be its reaction to the tests to be conducted, if an independent body were to be called, would it stand behind its product, does it have international certifications including CE marking, and such matters are important," he said. Taşkın summarized what has been done since the Marmara earthquakes and the expected situation as follows: "We are not ready for the Istanbul earthquake, but we are not in as poor a condition as before, the level of awareness and technology has advanced greatly," he said. Noting that the scope of the problem must be narrowed to be prepared, Taşkın said: "Existing structures—including such structures as bridges and natural gas pipelines—must be overhauled and strengthened; those requiring it should be demolished and rebuilt as soon as possible." Emphasizing the importance of reflexes, Taşkın recommended that citizens develop disaster plans within their homes and neighborhoods and conduct drills to be able to act correctly and quickly during an earthquake. Turgay Özkun, General Manager of Sika Turkey, said: "Earthquakes are a reality for our country and we live in a geography with active fault lines due to our location. For structures identified as risky within the existing building stock, strengthening is a very important alternative both in terms of proper resource management and economic considerations, as well as in terms of time." Emphasizing that strengthening requires expertise, Özkun stated: "We are also conducting awareness-raising work on this matter. We are providing training to implementers, those preparing specifications, and sector professionals regarding the correct application of the right products at the right time. Structural strengthening is not a routine application; it requires serious application knowledge. Prior to implementation, a strengthening project must be prepared by authorized experts on the subject, and the applications must then be carried out by authorized specialist implementers following this project," he said.