Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 9(7), pp. 2381 - 2388
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2021.090724
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The Albania Earthquake of 2019: Causes of Damage to the Buildings and Its Social Consequences

Darina Çoni (Kacollja) ^1,*, Albana Madhi ^2
1 Faculty of Education, ‘Aleksandër Xhuvani’ University, Elbasan 3001, Albania
² Faculty of Economy, ‘Aleksandër Xhuvani’ University, Elbasan 3001 Albania

ABSTRACT

On 26 November 2019, the city of Durres in Albania was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale with an intensity of 8–9, killing 51 people in total. Some buildings were destroyed, causing fatalities, while many other buildings suffered serious damage but caused no fatalities. Many high-rise buildings up to 12 floors high sustained constructive and masonry damage. Most of the masonry damage was found in buildings built after 1991 and perceived by the general public to be safer. The damage to the residential high-rise buildings left many families homeless, and although approximately two years have passed since the quake, some of these families are still homeless. This study is based on 38 interviews with residents whose homes have become uninhabitable and with civil engineers who have worked in the construction sector. Additionally, 11 in-depth analyses that were carried out for 11 severely damaged objects were studied. This study aims to determine what caused the damage to these buildings. The causes ranged from unauthorised floor additions to lack of compliance with the best building codes during the design phase. It also shows the slow progress of reconstruction, particularly in the most severely damaged buildings. Furthermore, this protracted reconstruction period has led to social problems within families.

KEYWORDS
Earthquake, Reconstruction, Albania, Qualitative Study, Social Consequences

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Darina Çoni (Kacollja) , Albana Madhi , "The Albania Earthquake of 2019: Causes of Damage to the Buildings and Its Social Consequences," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 9, No. 7, pp. 2381 - 2388, 2021. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2021.090724.

(b). APA Format:
Darina Çoni (Kacollja) , Albana Madhi (2021). The Albania Earthquake of 2019: Causes of Damage to the Buildings and Its Social Consequences. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 9(7), 2381 - 2388. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2021.090724.