A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Barbadoes Street. Removing a roof hip from the dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament".
Damage to the side of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street. Above, a crane is lifting material off the roof.
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Straw bales have been used as packing between the building and the shipping containers supporting its north-west corner.
The cross at the top of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, knocked off kilter by the earthquake.
Earthquake damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Shipping containers support the front of the building to prevent further damage, and workers are suspended from a crane above the remains of the dome.
A rainbow behind the damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
The cross on the damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
As a result of the 4 September 2010 Darfield earthquake and the more damaging 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, considerable damage occurred to a significant number of buildings in Christchurch. The damage that occurred to the Christchurch Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (commonly known as the Christchurch Basilica) as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes is reported, and the observed failure modes are identified. A previous strengthening intervention is outlined and the estimated capacity of the building is discussed. This strengthening was completed in 2004, and addressed the worst aspects of the building's seismic vulnerability. Urgent work was undertaken post-earthquake to secure parts of the building in order to limit damage and prevent collapse of unstable parts of the building. The approach taken for this securing is outlined, and the performance of the building and the previously installed earthquake strengthening intervention is evaluated.A key consideration throughout the project was the interaction between the structural securing requirements that were driven by the requirement to limit damage and mitigate hazards, and the heritage considerations. Lessons learnt from the strengthening that was carried out, the securing work undertaken, and the approach taken in making the building "safe" are discussed. Some conclusions are drawn with respect to the effectiveness of strengthening similar building types, and the approach taken to secure the building under active seismic conditions. AM - Accepted Manuscript
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The front of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Security fencing has been placed around the building to restrict access".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The front of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Security fencing has been placed around the building to restrict access".
Aerial image of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street, taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the Earthquake Commission.
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The upper part of the corner structure has collapsed, and the cross on the roof is on a lean.
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The upper part of the corner structure has collapsed, and the cross on the roof is on a lean.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The central dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street. Cracks in the brickwork can be seen".
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The south-west corner of the building has collapsed, exposing the rooms inside, and the north-west corner is supported by shipping containers.
A crane sitting beside the fence cordoning off the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. In the foreground stones from the Christ Church Cathedral have been laid out on pallets.
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The south-west corner of the building has collapsed, exposing the rooms inside, and the north-west corner is supported by shipping containers.
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The south-west corner of the building has collapsed, exposing the rooms inside, and the north-west corner is supported by shipping containers.
Detail of damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Large cracks can be seen in the stonework of the walls and above the columns.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The back of the Cathedral of Blessed Sacrament viewed from Fitzgerald Avenue".
A photograph captioned by Paul Corliss, "Barbadoes Street/Tuam street. Earthquake 4th of September 2010".
The damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, seen from Barbadoes Street.
Damage to the dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Cracking around the base of the dome shows how it has moved. In the foreground, damage to the north-west corner of the building can be seen. The photographer comments, "A bike ride around the CBD. Catholic Cathedral, Barbadoes St".
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christcurch, after the 6.3 magnitude quake on 22 February 2011. When The Angels Fall Take your father's cross Gently from the wall A shadow still remaining See the churches fall In mighty arcs of sound And all that they're containing Yet all the rugged souls Looking for their lost homes Shuffle to...