Field Observations and Numerical Investigations on Seismic Damage Assessment of RC and Masonry Minarets During the February 6th, 2023, Kahramanmaraş (Mw 7.7 Pazarcık and Mw 7.6 Elbistan) Earthquakes in Türkiye

On February 6, 2023, two massive earthquakes struck the EasternAnatolian Fault Line (EAF) at 9-hour intervals. The Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6 earthquakes were located in Pazarcik and Elbistan districts inKahramanmaras province. These earthquakes directly damaged 11 provinces in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia (Kahramanmaras,Hatay, Adyaman, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Sanlurfa, Malatya, Diyarbakir,Adana, Kilis, and Elazig), causing substantial loss of life and property. This study aims to present the field investigation of reinforced concrete (RC) and masonry minarets in 11 cities around the area after these earthquakes and the structural performance and collapse mechanism of two minarets selected as case studies. For this purpose, the damaged or collapsed minarets in the region affected by the earthquakes were determined and the reasons were explained. In addition, an RC and a masonry minaret in the Islahiye district were chosen as case studies, and finite element models (FEM) were created.The validity and correctness of the reasons for damages determined by field observations were further demonstrated by numerical findings.It was determined that nearly all of the damaged and collapsed minarets did not obtain proper engineering services. Additionally, it is believed that the lack of any norms or regulations for these unique constructions is a significant weakness that places engineers in a challenging situation throughout the design phase