KINEMETRICS
These major quakes occurred at relatively shallow depths, the intensity of the shaking was severe, and affected a wide area extending hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter. Dozens of cities, with a total of more than 13 million inhabitants, suffered devastating damage and casualties.
“An earthquake this size has the potential to be damaging anywhere in the world, but many structures in this region are particularly vulnerable” said USGS scientist David Wald. Even though dams in Turkey are well-engineered, the risk of the destructive impact of dam failure means that they must be treated as inherently vulnerable structures.
Turkey also has significant infrastructure in the earthquake-hit region, including the ‘GAP (Güneydoğu Anadolu Project) Southeastern Anatolia Project’, which aims to use the water resources of the Tigris and Euphrates springs. The mega project currently consists of 19 dams, covering nine provinces, and envisages an eventual total of 22 dams as part of multi-sector integrated regional development. This represents the most comprehensive and expensive initiative in Turkey’s history, and has tremendous impact on the country’s economy.
In the days following these earthquakes, as a precaution, Turkish officials announced the controlled drawdown of the reservoir for one dam located close to the epicenter until on-going inspections are completed.
Improving Seismic Resiliency
To manage critical infrastructure in one of the most seismically active areas in the world, as sadly evidenced by recent events, reliable and timely information about the actual impact of earthquakes on the structures and surrounding area is crucial while making real-time emergency response decisions with such far-reaching consequences.
These risks are not limited to only highly-active seismic regions. In fact, due to catastrophic consequences associated with possible dam failures, reliable assessment of dam safety is indispensable, even in regions with low seismicity.
Monitoring of dam behavior before, during, and after an earthquake has paramount importance to fully assess safety, validate design assumptions, and predict the seismic resistance of dams in support of increased resiliency. Only with the proper tools in place can the correct response actions be ensured.
KMIDam provides a comprehensive solution that enables earthquake response management for entire portfolios of dams by utilizing a combination of smart sensing technology, real-time processing, and predictive computations. Automated tools deliver immediate information on the impact of seismic events that is critical for decision making to ensure safe and compliant operational continuity, while improving overall resiliency for the surrounding region.
To learn more about how KMIDam delivers a seismic resiliency platform, click here.