Without compromising on quality, and to take part in the development of our country by working with innovative ideas, cement producers and ready-mixed concrete producers need to offer the most suitable product type according to the type of building and application area, with the sense of responsibility well-known.
Prof. Dr. Yasemin Açık
Seza Cement Chairman of the Board
Turkiye is a country in the seismic belt and from time to time it is faced with catastrophic disasters. Construction safety is our greatest responsibility. What do you think should be our priority when fictionalizing safe lives and cities? Foundations? Planning? Architecture? The choice of building materials? What are the primary issues that you find in the relationship between earthquakes and construction?
Turkiye, unfortunately, ranks among the countries with the highest number of casualties due to the earthquake. We suffer tremendous losses in earthquakes due to the fact that although most of our land is in seismic belt, it is the wrong choice of materials, unlicensed constructions, lack of attention to ground in urban planning and aesthetic concerns precede safe designs. We also experienced this pain in Elazığ, where our factory is located, with both the earthquake in 2020 and the recent earthquake disaster on February 6.
The recent earthquake has shown once again that collective thinking and action are required to come up with the solution. From public to private sector, non-governmental organizations and individuals, we must all act together. And for a safe life, first and foremost it is important to establish cities in places that are suitable for ground and elevation, to act on the plans and opinions of urban planners when establishing cities or undertaking urban regeneration, and to benefit from horizontal architecture in cities located on the seismic belt.
The recent earthquake has shown once again that collective thinking and action are required to come up with the solution. From public to private sector, non-governmental organizations and individuals, we must all act together. And for a safe life, first and foremost it is important to establish cities in places that are suitable for ground and elevation, to act on the plans and opinions of urban planners when establishing cities or undertaking urban regeneration, and to benefit from horizontal architecture in cities located on the seismic belt.
Implementation of foundations and projects based on construction safety, leaving proper distances between houses and creating green spaces in each neighborhood are also very important for safety. While the projects are being implemented, it is essential to choose building materials with the necessary safety and quality certificates, and to work with engineers and architects who are experts in their fields. Innovative ideas and technology in the construction industry should be taken into focus, as should technology in all areas.
We must, in a nutshell, build safe structures and safe cities that are resistant to the devastating effects of earthquakes in light of science and with the collective system of thought. Only then, we can prevent loss of life and property and minimize all the bad consequences that might occur.
In Turkiye, the task of Building Inspectors is to inspect the contractor. But looking at examples of countries like Germany, engineers and masters are also held responsible in the first degree. What are the shortcomings you see in the field of inspection; how can they be eliminated?
The main support for the building inspection system in Germany is the inspection engineers’ system, which provides project and construction control. Superior inspection agency, lower inspection agency, audit departments and inspector engineers form the basis of this system. Obtaining an inspector engineer certificate is an extremely challenging, discipline-requiring process, and there are many responsibilities. For example, the inspection engineer has 30 years of responsibility for the structures he inspects.
Structure inspection in our country does not include vocational chambers and local administrations. I think the relevant chambers, local administrations and official institutions as a whole need to act systematically on this as in the case of Germany. Furthermore, building production is a process that needs to be supervised continuously and effectively, from site selection to planning, from building design to production and use. So, it needs to be considered as a whole.
So, what does a safe structure mean? Can you identify elements that constitute the safety of a structure with their general lines?
We can define the safe structure as the one that can keep itself within safe limits against the effects it will be exposed to and that gives minimum damage and casualties in the face of maximum external influences. The safety of a building is determined by the floor, design, choice of carrier system (foundation), material selection and quality used during its manufacture. Under these main topics, the right implementation under the control of experienced and expert engineers allows us to live in safe structures.
What do you think are the overall duties and responsibilities of cement and concrete producers when it comes to safe structures?
For centuries, cement has made it possible for humankind to build permanent structures, to build important structures that can withstand external factors and disasters. The subsequent production of concrete takes its place in our lives as a modern development material with high strength and continuous quality control. Being one of the most important materials that make up the building and its element, concrete has a certain strength and is the most important condition for ensuring safety. The materials that have the most effective role in the strength of concrete are cement, aggregate and chemical additives. As it turns out, both areas are directly related to each other. And at this point, without compromising on quality, and to take part in the development of our country by working with innovative ideas, we as the cement producers and ready-mixed concrete producers need to offer the most suitable product type according to the type of building and application area, with the sense of responsibility well-known.
I think the relevant chambers, local administrations and official institutions as a whole need to act systematically as in the case of Germany. Furthermore, building production is a process that needs to be supervised continuously and effectively, from site selection to planning, from building design to production and use.
How are durability and high-tech products obtained in cement production? Which products are available or should be used in accordance with the conditions and realities of Turkiye; where should the sector focus when it comes to R&D?
The determining parameters in the strength of cement are the quality of the clinker produced, the fineness (blain) and the additives used. This process is carried out by the automation system, and its control is carried out with automatic samplers, untouched by human hands. On the other hand, while producing cements with high strength, the cement industry also uses the requirements of technology. With the support of renewable energy sources, both domestic needs are being met and the carbon footprint as environmentalist factories is being reduced.
There is cement production in our country in line with the “TS En 197- 1” standard. Materials that are included in cement content under this standard are divided into five main titles based on their composition: Portland Cement (CEM 1), Portland Composite Cement (CEM 2), Blast Furnace Slag Cement (CEM 3), Pozzolanic Cement (CEM4) and Composed Cement (CEM 5). The usage areas of these cement types differ. For example, CEM 1 is used in high-rise buildings or art structures, and CEM 4 is used in places such as dam constructions and water canals.
The cement industry has also now put R&D in focus when it comes to emitting less carbon, along with environmentalist technologies in manufacturing. R&D work is underway for issues we can diversify with samples such as sulfate-based cements already manufactured, cement for mass concrete exposed to salty and harmful water.
What do the cement industry and its stakeholders need to do after these major disasters?
First of all, the amount of cement needed in areas affected by the disaster should be determined. Production of cement factories close to the region should be evaluated and, if necessary, supported by other factories. Then this production must be delivered to the affected areas. We are working cooperatively with the public as one of the cement manufacturers in the region. We as cement manufacturers have always been and will continue to be at the forefront of work in disasters like this.
