# Geotechnical and Structural Damages Caused by the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthqu in Golbasi (Adyaman)
## 1 Introduction  
Studies and evaluations to be carried out after the destructive effects of earthquakes on the completed environment are important in order to realistically reveal the earthquake hazard of that region, as well as to reveal the factors that negatively affect the earthquake performance of the existing building stock. Assessment of post-disaster structural damage, which is a fundamental part of modern disaster management, is necessary both for the development of earthquake-resistant building design principles and for spatial planning and urban transformation. One of the main tectonic elements that stands out within the complex tectonic structure of Turkiye, which has a very high seismic risk, is the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ). The last couple of Kahramanmaras earthquakes, which occurred on 6 February 2023, caused great geotechnical and structural damage in 11 different provinces on and near this fault zone and caused over 50,000 deaths. The 1939 Erzincan earthquake caused the highest loss of life among instrumental earthquakes in Turkiye and 33,000 people lost their lives. The earthquakes of 6 February 2023, which caused the highest loss of life in Turkiye, were the disaster of the century for the country. Turkiye, which is frequently affected by devastating earthquakes, is located in the Alpine-Himalayan earthquake zone, one of the most active earthquake zones in the world. The three main tectonic elements active in the country, where a very complex tectonic system exists, are the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), the East Anatolian Fault Zone(EAFZ), and the Aegean Graben System. Earthqu constantly happen on all three main tectonic elements, and as a result, large-scale losses of life and property occur. The dominant movements that stand out within this complex tectonic element of the country reveal the definition of tectonism in Anatolia. When explaining tectonism, the most common method is to look at plate movements and follow the movements of the plates. The Anatolian Block is basically under the influence of two important plate movements. The first and most effective of these is that the African Plate pushes the Arab Block northwards due to its counterclockwise rotation. This thrust event also pushes the Southeastern part of the Anatolian Block towards the north. Another important movement is the clockwise movement of the Europe-Asia, commonly known as the Eurasian Plate. Under the influence of this movement, the Anatolian Block is being pushed towards the south. Therefore, the Anatolian Block is under the influence of these two important compressions and is displaced in the west-southwest direction. The effects observed in the Anatolian Block are observed as a shear effect between Erzincan and Karlnova, and earthquakes occur from time to time when the stress resulting from the movement breaks. On the other hand, in the west of the Anatolian Block, due to the southeast direction movement, the south of western Anatolia opens to the south and the north to the north (Figure 1). Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Kilis, Sanlurfa, Diyarbakur, Elazig, and Malatya provinces. Ground- and soil-related structural damages were observed in Hatay (iskenderun) and Adiyama (Golbasi) districts. Within the scope of this study, Golbasi district of Adiyama province, one of these two districts, was taken into consideration. Many studies in the literature discuss post-earthquake damage in Turkiye and the world. Field observations are conducted after an earthquake for a variety of structures, including bridges, historical structures, masonry, reinforced concrete, and industrial buildings, etc. [5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16]. Especially after the Kahramanmaras earthquakes, there are many case studies examining the effects of earthquakes and damage on structural systems within the framework of cause and effect. Some of these are as follows: [PERSON] et al. [17] examined the effects of earthquakes on all structures in Kahramanmaras province.