In the early morning of 4th September 2010 the region of Canterbury, New Zealand, was subjected to a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The epicentre was located near the town of Darfield, 40 km west of the city of Christchurch. This was the country’s most damaging earthquake since the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake (GeoNet, 2010). Since 4th September 2010 the region has been subjected to thousands of aftershocks, including several more damaging events such as a magnitude 6.3 aftershock on 22nd February 2011. Although of a smaller magnitude, the earthquake on 22nd February produced peak ground accelerations in the Christchurch region three times greater than the 4th September earthquake and in some cases shaking intensities greater than twice the design level (GeoNet, 2011; IPENZ, 2011). While in September 2010 most earthquake shaking damage was limited to unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, in February all types of buildings sustained damage. Temporary shoring and strengthening techniques applied to buildings following the Darfield earthquake were tested in February 2011. In addition, two large aftershocks occurred on 13th June 2011 (magnitudes 5.7 and 6.2), further damaging many already weakened structures. The damage to unreinforced and retrofitted clay brick masonry buildings in the 4th September 2010 Darfield earthquake has already been reported by Ingham and Griffith (2011) and Dizhur et al. (2010b). A brief review of damage from the 22nd February 2011 earthquake is presented here
A Civil Defence staff member completing a Level 1 Rapid Assessment inspection on a damaged house. The brickwork and window have collapsed from the outer wall of the property.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a building in central Christchurch. Broken glass and other rubble litters the courtyard in front of the building. There is a large crack in the brick wall to the right. A red sticker on the glass door indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to Knox Church on the corner of Bealey Avenue and Victoria Street. The walls of the gables have crumbled, bricks and other rubble falling onto the footpath below. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the lower section of the wall.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a group of shops on the corner of Woodham Road and Gloucester Street. The top of the facade has crumbled and bricks have fallen onto the footpath, taking the awnings with them. Wire fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to Caffe Roma on Oxford Terrace. Part of the top of the facade has collapsed, and the bricks have spilled onto the footpath below. Cracks have appeared on the left side of the building and some of the windows have smashed.
A photograph looking down Poplar Lane from behind the cordon on Tuam Street. Fallen bricks and building rubble litter the footpaths. To the left the earthquake damage to Plume can be seen. The front wall of the corner has crumbled, taking the awning with it. Mannequins can still be seen hanging in the window.
A photograph of the earthquake-damage to the Quinn's clothing store on Papanui Road. The front wall of the building has crumbled, the bricks and other rubble falling onto the footpath and street below. The inside of the second storey can now clearly be seen from the street.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a building on the corner of Armagh and Barbadoes Streets. The outer walls of the building have collapsed and the bricks have spilled onto the footpath and road below. Steel and wire fences have been placed around the building as a cordon.
Damage to a residential property in Richmond. The brick wall of the garage has collapse inward, and the roof fallen in on top of it. The driveway is badly cracked and buckled. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd. The brick garage just collapsed, pulling the gate over as it fell".
A photograph of the earthquake damage to R&R Sport on the corner of Colombo and Tuam Streets. Most of the side wall has crumbled, exposing the wooden structure beneath.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to R&R Sport on the corner of Colombo and Tuam Streets. Most of the side wall has crumbled, exposing the wooden structure beneath.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a group of shops on the corner of Gloucester Street and Woodham Road. The north side of the building has collapsed, and the top of the facade has crumbled onto the footpath below.
A damaged house with a red sticker on its front window. The sticker indicates that the building is unsafe to enter. To the side, the brickwork has crumbled and in the front the broken windows have been boarded up. A woman in a florescent vest can be seen to the left, inspecting the house.
A photograph of damage to the Country Theme store on St Asaph Street. A sign in the window reads, "For rent".
A Civil Defence staff member completing a Level 1 Rapid Assessment inspection on a damaged house. The brickwork on the outer walls have collapsed. The window on the left hand side has been broken.
A photograph of a woman walking past an earthquake-damaged building. Bricks from the building litter the footpath, which is cordoned off with chain-link fencing.
A photograph of a woman walking past an earthquake-damaged building. Bricks from the building litter the footpath, which is cordoned off with chain-link fencing.
Extensive damage to the Caxton Press building on Victoria Street. Bricks have toppled from the facade down to the footpath, and the windows and doors have been boarded up.
Extensive damage to the Caxton Press building on Victoria Street. Bricks have toppled from the facade down to the footpath, and the windows and doors have been boarded up.
Okains Bay Banks Peninsula New Zealand
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Damage to the Crichton Cobbers Youth and Community Club on Fitzgerald Avenue".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Damage to the Crichton Cobbers Youth and Community Club on Fitzgerald Avenue".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Damage to the Crichton Cobbers Youth and Community Club on Fitzgerald Avenue".
The brick facade has fallen from the former Princess Cinema in New Brighton, exposing the rooms inside, and crushing a car parked below. The photographer comments, "The front of the old Princess Cinema in New Brighton after the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand on 22 February. Under the pile of bricks is a luckily unoccupied blue car. The word CLEAR on the broken facade is to show that there is no one in the car. This building has now been knocked down as it was so dangerous".
Damage to the Lyttelton Hotel on Norwich Quay. The top of the building has crumbled, bringing the roof down with it. Bricks have fallen on the awning and all along the footpath. Wire fencing and road cones have been used to create a cordon around the building.
A photograph of the Cranmer Centre on Armagh Street. Bricks have fallen off one of the gables onto the concrete below. The remaining gables have been braced with wood to limit further damage. A cherry picker can be seen below, and there is fencing around the building.
A photograph of a member of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team walking down Manchester Street. In the background is a group of earthquake-damaged shops. The outer walls of the top storeys of the shops have collapsed, the bricks spilling onto the street.
Damaged buildings in the alleyway leading from Tuam Street to Sol Square. Bricks have fallen from parapets, and one building is leaning out into the alleyway.
A photograph of earthquake-damaged buildings on Manchester Street. Missing brick work and cracks can be seen at the top of the of Dick Smith building.