Onsite Seismic Monitoring Behavior of Undamaged Dams During the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes (M7.7 and M7.6)

Abstract

On 6 February 2023, two major earthquakes struck T & uuml;rkiye, with their epicenters in the Pazarc & imath;k (M7.7; focal depth: 8.6 km) and Elbistan (M7.6; focal depth: 7 km) districts of Kahramanmara & scedil; city. Most of the dams in the earthquake region remained structurally safe and stable. However, 17 dams in T & uuml;rkiye and 1 dam in Syria were damaged during the 2023 Kahramanmara & scedil; earthquakes. The main objective of this study was to better understand the real seismic behaviors of the dams during the two mainshocks and significant aftershocks. An earthfill dam, a concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD), and a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam constructed in the disaster area were selected to identify the real seismic behaviors of different types of dams during strong earthquakes. Acceleration records measured at the crest, right and left abutments, and foundations of the selected dams during the 2023 Kahramanmara & scedil; earthquakes were taken into account to determine the real seismic behavior of the dams before, during, and after the earthquakes. The results of this investigation provide valuable insights into the real seismic behaviors of different types of dams in the vicinity of fault lines during strong earthquakes.