Measurement and removal of asbestos in residential dwellings to be demolished-urban transformation experience in Izmir, Turkey

Asbestos has been used extensively in the construction industry for its superior insulation properties before its health hazards were discovered and its use eventually banned. It is likely that many residential buildings built before the 2000s in Turkey contain asbestos. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness of the potential danger of asbestos exposure during demolition work and to identify asbestos-containing materials and ensure their safe removal and disposal. This study is executed to determine the residential dwellings containing asbestos in Izmir, Turkey. The research included field studies to determine asbestos presence in the buildings that were damaged during the 2020 earthquake. Air measurements and bulk samples were taken from 50 buildings that would go through the demolition process. Eleven buildings were found to contain asbestos which corresponds to 22%. The detected asbestos type was 60% chrysotile (white asbestos). Results could be helpful for future demolition work, which are conducted in the same region that includes buildings with similar properties. Also, it is expected that the database created for this study could be useful in other studies in Turkey, where accurate statistical data related with asbestos measurements is essentially non-existent.

Evaluation of pile driving accidents in geotechnical engineering

Pile driving accidents that occurred between 1984 and 2018 were selected from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration database, producing 84 cases. To evaluate the causes of accidents, pile driving stages were presented and the potential hazards were discussed. Two models were necessary to link the accidents with workers' behavior. An accident type model and a workers' behavior model were developed. The accident type model was related to physical factors leading to accidents, and the workers' behavior model determined the occupational behavior under the act of the incident. Among fatal accidents, unsafe site conditions had the highest frequency at 26.9%. Among non-fatal accidents, both poor attitudes toward safety and unsafe methods had the highest frequency at 28.1%. Furthermore, a map presenting work-specific accident frequencies in pile driving operations was created. Consequently, project-specific countermeasures should be taken regarding the root causes of accidents, leading to vigorous strategies to develop safety measures.