BUTEXCOMP Project, one of Turkey's most important technological transformation projects carried out by BTSO, carried out an important program to increase the use of composite materials and technical textiles in the construction of new earthquake-resistant buildings and retrofitting of existing buildings. A road map and action plan will be prepared with the outputs obtained at the 2-day Search Meeting in Istanbul.
BUTEXCOMP, one of Turkey’s most important technological transformation projects in composite materials and technical textiles, supported by the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Turkey and carried out by Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), held a Search Meeting titled ‘Use of Composite Materials and Technical Textiles for Strengthening Buildings Against Earthquakes’ in Istanbul.
The Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center (BUTEXCOMP) Technical Assistance Project carried out by BTSO is implemented within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program, which is financed within the framework of the financial cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Turkey and carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Turkey's Most Important Scientists and Japanese Earthquake Expert Moriwaki Also Attended
In the meeting, which continued for 2 days with the participation of academicians who are experts in their fields as well as representatives of relevant government agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations, research centers and the private sector, after the ‘situation analysis’, the necessary actions to be taken to prepare a draft road map and action plan for increasing the use of composites and technical textiles for earthquake-resistant structures were revealed through parallel group work.
On the first day of the program, world-renowned Japanese Earthquake Expert Yoshinori Moriwaki made a presentation on the studies carried out on the strengthening of buildings, while Yuko Tanaka, Head of the Turkey Office of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency JICA, explained the studies carried out by JICA after the February 6 earthquakes. Dr. Heike Illing-Günther, Director of the Saxon Textile Research Institute, who attended the meeting online from Germany, shared the results of the project titled ‘Textiles for the Building Sector – Examples of Reinforcing Materials/Research’. In the event, Prof. Dr. Güney Özcebe, Retired Faculty Member of METU Civil Engineering Department and Advisor to the Rector of TED University, made a presentation titled ‘Is Structural Retrofitting a Solution?’, Prof. Dr. Haluk Sucuoğlu made a presentation titled ‘Evaluation and Retrofitting of Existing Buildings’ and Prof. Dr. Alper İlki, Faculty Member of Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering and President of Earthquake Foundation, made a presentation titled ‘Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes, Retrofitting the Earthquake Performance of Existing Buildings’.
Important Outputs Achieved
Commenting on the meeting, Alparslan Şenocak, Member of the Board of Directors of BTSO, said, “After the February 6 earthquakes, reinforcement applications, especially with carbon fibers, have come to the agenda again. Our Textile and Technical Textile Center of Excellence and Advanced Composite Materials Research and Excellence Center, which we established within BUTEKOM in Bursa, have an important infrastructure and accumulation that will strengthen the studies in this field. With our BUTEXCOMP project, we aim to prepare a new roadmap to increase the use of composite materials and technical textiles in the construction of new earthquake-resistant buildings and the retrofitting of existing buildings. In this context, I think that our search meeting, which we organized with the participation of sector stakeholders and experts in the field, provided important outputs.”
Report to be Submitted to Relevant Authorities
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karahan, Director of the BUTEXCOMP Project Operation Coordination Unit, said: “Our aim is to establish a domestic supply chain in Turkey for technical textiles and composite materials used in earthquake retrofitting, and to establish the relevant standards and legislation. We also aim to close the gaps in education in this field and to create areas of cooperation. Within the scope of the workshops, we will continue to discuss issues such as how legislation and standards should be established in this field, who should work on this work, what can be done on the basis of education, for example, opening courses on the subject in the civil engineering department, opening reinforcement-oriented programs in 2-year vocational colleges. A very valuable report will be obtained at the Search Meeting in Istanbul. We will present this report to the relevant authorities with the hope that it will be implemented.”