Efforts are underway to quickly address the housing needs of earthquake-affected regions and to produce earthquake-resistant, permanent housing. OSTİM, which has prioritized steel structures in earthquake-resistant housing production, held a planning meeting with universities, industrialists, and civil society organizations to discuss the construction of steel housing, from legislation to manufacturing.
The meeting was attended by executives from OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone, OSTİM Technical University, OSTİM Investment, Turkish Steel Producers Association (TÇÜD), Turkish Structural Steel Association (TUCSA), Anatolian Rail Transportation Systems Cluster (ARUS), Karçel A.Ş., MEKA A.Ş., Meksis A.Ş., Tamer Kalıp, Orka Mekatronik, Fırat Life Construction, and Prefi Prefabrik Yapı.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın stated that they have brought steel structures to the agenda in their search for alternative models for the rapid, safe and economical production of housing needed in the earthquake zone.
Highlighting the accumulated knowledge and experience of the Turkish Structural Steel Association, Aydın stated that they are ready to share the projects resulting from the study with public institutions. Emphasizing that steel, with its durable, flexible, fast, and economical nature, can be an alternative in housing production, President Aydın stated that a model and solution should be developed and presented to the relevant public institutions.
Cheaper than reinforced concrete
Yener Gür’eş, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TUCSA, pointed out that Turkish manufacturers are successfully meeting demands from various countries around the world in modular and frame steel structures. Gür’eş said, “If optimization methods are applied and solutions are achieved by using sufficient steel, the initial investment costs of light steel structures and modular structures are now cheaper than reinforced concrete. It is very easy for prefabricated building manufacturers in Turkey to switch to modular building production.”
At the meeting, there was a consensus on constructing a model neighborhood using steel structures, working on the relevant legislation, and preparing a report within 15 days to evaluate the work done and submit it to the relevant public institutions.
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