Following the heavy downpour that hit Istanbul on October 14, the basements and ground floors of many houses and workplaces were flooded. As the waters receded, mud, slime and the smell of intense humidity were left behind. Citizens, whose homes, workplaces and belongings were damaged due to floods, are worried about the condition of their buildings while continuing their cleaning efforts. Especially in buildings without waterproofing, there is a risk of moisture forming on the walls and floors and causing damage to certain parts of the building.
Rumeli University Civil Engineering Department Head Prof. Dr. İbrahim Yüksel said, "Flooding does not kill, if we are not prepared for the flood, it kills. Humidity kills the building. If we do not insulate the building from the foundation to the roof during construction, if we do not remove it until it floods, and if we do not drain the surroundings of the building at the same time, if we do not make a drainage channel or drainage system with the coming rains, snowmelt and heavy rains, the building will get water. Therefore, if there is no insulation, this water in the basement will eventually rise to the roof of the building. Certainly, there is no waterproofing in the basement and the building. They need to check whether there is waterproofing in the basements, columns and beams, especially on the -1st, -2nd, -3rd floor. There will be humidity in a building without waterproofing. Even if nothing happens, the building absorbs the hydrogen in the air. When it absorbs moisture, it will naturally become damp over the years. Therefore, humidity will definitely kill the building. And in buildings where this is not possible, it needs to be built or provided or designed in some way. Humidity kills the building, just like a malignant cancer tumor in the body. As I said, it manifests itself in 6 months, and after 6 years, the building itself gradually loses its strength as the reinforcement rusts and rots with rust worms, the wall, i.e. its diameter, becomes thinner and loses its strength."
Prof. Dr. Yüksel said, "If the basement and ground floors are flooded, swelling, color changes, dark gray and mercury color changes occur within 15-20 days due to the effect of this water. The death of the building is possible due to humidity. Humidity kills the building. Columns, beams and foundations without waterproofing, if there is no insulation, if they are flooded, they will rot and rust within 6 months to 6 years. That concrete loses its strength. This building takes in water. The explosion of the plaster, the concrete's collapse. It is caused by moisture. It absorbs moisture over time and then shrinks when it evaporates. When it shrinks, the iron is exposed and this iron rusts and corrodes. When the columns and beams, concrete and plaster begin to explode and fall off in a building exposed to flood, this starts within 6 months. When water comes into the building, mercury-like color changes occur in the columns and beams. "As soon as they see the mosquitoes flying around and the grass growing, if the walls of the basement floors are open, they should realize that their buildings have received and continue to receive water and that their buildings have been damaged by water, and they should immediately apply to a specialist or a university," he said.
Mümin Tozlu, whose house's floor was under water, said, "The ground of the building was covered with wood, but the water took away the wood. It brought all the stones, rubble, soil and water that it had brought inside the building here. İSKİ and the fire brigade took the rough water here. The mud underneath was completely water, but more than 1-1.5 meters of mud, soil, stones, all the rubble inside remained. Even though we built this building solidly, the incoming water was clean. Even though it is not acidic, as long as this water stays here, it will damage my building and the concrete. The mud and soil must be removed and cleaned as soon as possible in a way that will not damage my building. If this remains too long, all the irons may be damaged by floods. The columns and beams of my building on the ground floor are damaged and the humidity increases. "The irons are weakening the building due to rust, so we requested that it be cleaned as soon as possible," he said.
We can't stay at home, there is a damp smell.
