H.Yener GÜR'EŞ Project Manager
BEAUTIES AND CHALLENGES OF TEVFiK SENO ARDA HIGH SCHOOL
It was May 3, 2003. Another earthquake
occurred in our country, Turkey, which
15 located on an seismic zone: Bingöl
was shaken, houses and schools were
collapsed Losses of lots of kids in a
student house, which was not resistant
against earthquake, caused to mourn
not only in Turkey but also through out
the world.
Following this earthquake, Prof. Dr.
Nesrin Yardımcı, President of Turkish
Constructional Steelwork Association
(TUCSA), made two presentations in
European Convention for Constructional
Steelwork (ECCS) about "Bingöl
Earthquake" and "Earthquake
Possibilities in Turkey". At the end of
these presentations members of ECCS
has said, "No more death for students
must happen due to improper buildings
around the world, and especially in
countries located on seismic zones" and
decided to construct a model school with
steel structure in Turkey.
This school would be constructed as a
joint project of TUCSA and ECCS with
the contributions of ECCS member
companies such as Arcelor
(Luxembourg) and Corus (England). For
this purpose, Governorship of Kocaeli
has assigned the land and the protocol
was signed on April 28, 2005 Our
architectural design had been prepared
in advance and was approved by ECCS.
We have aimed to complete and deliver
Tevfik Seno Arda High School to the
Ministry of National Education by
September 12. 2005 in order to make it
ready for 2005-2006 educational year if
our project approvals would have been
sought until the end of May according
to the talks during the signature of
protocol However, the bureaucratic
legislations, even if this project would
be a donation, never left the project alone.
Orhangazi Primary School, which was
built in 1920s but could not resist to the
earthquake of 1999 and collapsed. The
land of the collapsed school was
assigned for our project. It is in the
location, namely Orhan Mahallesi, where
relatively low income people of İzmit are
living. We were very pleased with the
selection of this land mainly because of
three reasons: so we would be able to
serve to the people that really need such
a service and it would be a challenge to
erect a school on the land of the seriously
damaged school in the earthquake.
Regarding the school which would be
constructed far from main roads. I want
to explain the third reason of our
happiness with this maxim "Aid neither
must make the donor haughty, nor the
receiver asharned".
On the other hand, since the land
assigned us to construct the Tevfik Seno
Arda High School on the land of the
collapsed Orhangazi Primary School,
was staying in an archeological site. It
was anather exiting and very different
experience for us.
Initially we had to put a relatively large
school with 15 classrooms and 4
laboratories on a small land. Distances
to be left from edges of the land,
transformer building within the school's
land, gardens of the buildings on the
east side exceeding into the school's
land, having a land not in a rectangular
shape were the initial challenges that
we faced in terms of architectural layout.
But then we have realised that these
were nothing...
At first we did not design any basement
floor in order to prepare a plan suitable
for our budget and not to have an
improper symmetry in case of any
earthquake. But then, we were required
to modify the project since the school
land was on an inclined area, there were
holes and ruins of the basement of the
previous school, and the authorities of
the municipality have said that they want
the foundations to be sat on a solid
ground instead of the compressed soil
under control. The result was adding a
basement, wasting time, and additional
costs. Anyway, we had succeeded and
we were happy for our success.
Then we found ourselves in an adventure
of archeological site zone. The drawings
have stayed in the Board of Monuments
for more than two months. ECCS, after
various works, had found aesthetical
features on the school's façade showing
the advantages of the steel as shown on
the websites of ECCS (HYPERLINK
"http://www.steelconstruct.com"
www.steelconstruct.coml) and Turkish
Constructional Steelwork Association (HYPERLINK "http://www.tucsa.org"
www.tucsaorg), and had agreed with
the design. However, the school building
façade prescribed in the original design
was not accepted by the Board since "it
is not in harmony with the historical
texture of the area and the architecture
of the city of İzmit" and we were
requested to make alternative drawings.
Then, of course, we had several
questions in our minds.
First question: While the only ruin around
us was a tower of 8 meters height and
6 meters diameter, howwe would adapt
ourselves to the historical land scape?
Second question: I would not make a
comment about the environmental
architecture, but i cannot get myself
without asking the following question;
Does İzmit have a characteristic
architecture, as ones in Bodrum,
Safranbolu, and others?
Third question: If there are any
hesitations on the above questions, the
following question comes to our minds:
"Are they requesting a prison like building
instead of modern steel display since
they cannot appropriate the philosophy
of steel constructioris?" We then have
started to wait leaving the interpretation
to the authorized persons. All our aim
was to complete and deliver the school
as soon as possible. Then finally a new
traditional school building façade design
with small glasses, relatively hiding the
steel structure of the building, was
approved by the Board of Monuments
on July 28. I hope one dayall of you would
come and see the harmony of buildings
in this site... We are grateful for the
personal efforts of Mr. Erdal Ata,
Governor of Kocaeli, during this period
as well.
Development of the steel in the world is
not a competition but an inevitable fact
due to various features of steel such as
its environmental features, resistance
against seismic effects, flexibility in
design and utilization, and its speed and
economy. Steel constructions could not
be understood well in Turkeyand people
could not find themselves familiar with
steel yet. However, we would certainly
see also in our country like in Japan or
USA, which are also located on seismic
zones, that steel constructions would be
preferred for schools, public buildings,
hospitals and residents.
Of course these were not the end. Now
there is ariother challenge in custom
procedure of the materials donated by
the companies Arcelor and Corus sent
from Luxembourg and England
respectively. Since theywere not included
into the free importation list of donated
materials, which was prepared alter the
earthquake of 1999, it was another story
to import the incoming steel profiles and
trapezoid sheets ldeckinql to be placed
under the composite floor. It would be
certainly correct if we say that there was
almost no relevant door in Ankara that
we have not knocked in June. During
these visits, everybody said that we were
right but our problem was unforturiately
not within their scope. I guess because
of lack of our experience, we could never
manage to find the correct person We
came back to Kocaeli and presented our
results. The Governor, and Mr. Metin
Yah•, Vice-Governor (currently General
Secretary) had personally paid attention
to every stage of the project. They have
sent a letter to Ankara and made phone
conversations. While we were thinking
that everything is completed, donated
goods have begun to arrive at the
customs. Then we noticed that we have
not received any reply from Ankara yet.
But later we learned that we do not need
to request the opinion of Ankara... While
we were writing our feelings here we
reached October. I hope we would start
to use the materials that we have
received while you were reading this
article.
One of our main objectives was to have
donations from as much people as
possible instead of only from a couple
of sponsor companies in order to finance
construction, in to ensure that everybody
could be involved into this project. But
challenges of collecting donations were
another experience. Even they were a
few, we had encountered with people
having interesting reactions, such as
those do not want to donate before
seeing the foundation, those wishing not
to involve in the project since they cannot
foresee the contribution of this event to
the sector, those aiming to free ride...
And there were people who were feeling
embarrassed since they could not make
any donation due to their financial
problems but I hope we did not cause
any problem to such kind of people.
Anyway, it is not easy to collect donations.
But at the end i would like to reiterate
our cordial thanks to all companies,
organizations, and people that had made
donations and ones who supported our
project sincerely although they were not
able to make any donation.
Please, do not think that we were bored
since we are telling all of these events
to you. You are filled with a pleasure that
cannot be defined with rising of each
centimeter of the school construction.
Most of us watched the erection of the
first column of three floors height with
an excitement and may not be stopping
our tears during the Column Erection
Ceremony organized on September 14
with the participations of Mr. Allan
Collins, Chairman of the Board of
Directors of ECCS and Mr. Bruno Theret.
vice-President of Arcelor. Otherwise, do
you think that it is possible to do this
work?
ECCS is also sharing our feelings. When
we presented the Column Erection
Ceremony and the last status of the
school project during the General
Assembly meeting held on September
22. 2005, Thursday in Nice/France, they
have shared our excitement, the
challenges we faced, and our
happiness... Furthermore, they agreed
to hold the Meeting of the Board of
Directors to be organized in April 2006
in Istanbul instead of Brussels, just in
order to come and see the biggest project
of ECCS within the last 50 years.
So, the completion date of the school
construction works were delayed a lot
in comparison with our planned date
due to reasons beyond our control. Now,
we are aiming to complete the works
until February 2006.
As a conclusion, we believe that seismic
resistant constructions can be made
only with the combination of intelligence
and prudence, and harmonization of
science and implementation. Turkish
Constructional Steel Association is ready
to do its liabilities in this area any time
it is required. Our association would be
pleased to share its knowledge and
experience with each authority within
the state and to collaborate with local
administration. Also there are so many
things to do in our country and therefore
we believe that collaboration of non-
governmental organizations and
industries would increase the
momentum of our country on its path
towards the catching up the most
developed civilizations.
I wish well-beings to all of you with the
hope that the days when we really desire
the buildings in which our children and
us would liye in safe even during an
earthquake in the future.
As a conclusion, we balieve that cnstructions resistant to earthquakes can be made only with the combination of intelligence and prudence with science and implementation. Turkish Constructional Steelwork Association is ready to do its liabilities in this area as possible as it can. Our association would be plased to share its knowledge and experience with each within the state and to collaborate with local administration of non-governmental organizations and industries would increase the momentium of our country on its path towards developed civilizations. I wissh well-beings to all of you with the hope that the days that we really desire during which our children and us would live i the buildings that would not collapse during ana earthquake would come.