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Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a dusty monitor in an earthquake-damaged building on Poplar Street taken during the Residential Access Project. The Residential Access Project gave residents temporary access within the red-zone cordon in order to retrieve items from their homes after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Dislodged bricks can also be seen around the monitor.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

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".

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

In most design codes, infill walls are considered as non-structural elements and thus are typically neglected in the design process. The observations made after major earthquakes (Duzce 1999, L’Aquila 2009, Christchurch 2011) have shown that even though infill walls are considered to be non-structural elements, they interact with the structural system during seismic actions. In the case of heavy infill walls (i.e. clay brick infill walls), the whole behaviour of the structure may be affected by this interaction (i.e. local or global structural failures such as soft storey mechanism). In the case of light infill walls (i.e. non-structural drywalls), this may cause significant economical losses. To consider the interaction of the structural system with the ‘non-structural ’infill walls at design stage may not be a practical approach due to the complexity of the infill wall behaviour. Therefore, the purpose of the reported research is to develop innovative technological solutions and design recommendations for low damage non-structural wall systems for seismic actions by making use of alternative approaches. Light (steel/timber framed drywalls) and heavy (unreinforced clay brick) non-structural infill wall systems were studied by following an experimental/numerical research programme. Quasi-static reverse cyclic tests were carried out by utilizing a specially designed full scale reinforced concrete frame, which can be used as a re-usable bare frame. In this frame, two RC beams and two RC columns were connected by two un-bonded post tensioning bars, emulating a jointed ductile frame system (PRESSS technology). Due to the rocking behaviour at the beam-column joint interfaces, this frame was typically a low damage structural solution, with the post-tensioning guaranteeing a linear elastic behaviour. Therefore, this frame could be repeatedly used in all of the tests carried out by changing only the infill walls within this frame. Due to the linear elastic behaviour of this structural bare frame, it was possible to extract the exact behaviour of the infill walls from the global results. In other words, the only parameter that affected the global results was given by the infill walls. For the test specimens, the existing practice of construction (as built) for both light and heavy non-structural walls was implemented. In the light of the observations taken during these tests, modified low damage construction practices were proposed and tested. In total, seven tests were carried out: 1) Bare frame , in order to confirm its linear elastic behaviour. 2) As built steel framed drywall specimen FIF1-STFD (Light) 3) As built timber framed drywall specimen FIF2-TBFD (Light) 4) As built unreinforced clay brick infill wall specimen FIF3-UCBI (Heavy) 5) Low damage steel framed drywall specimen MIF1-STFD (Light) 6) Low damage timber framed drywall specimen MIF2-TBFD (Light) 7) Low damage unreinforced clay brick infill wall specimen MIF5-UCBI (Heavy) The tests of the as built practices showed that both drywalls and unreinforced clay brick infill walls have a low serviceability inter-storey drift limit (0.2-0.3%). Based on the observations, simple modifications and details were proposed for the low damage specimens. The details proved to be working effectively in lowering the damage and increasing the serviceability drift limits. For drywalls, the proposed low damage solutions do not introduce additional cost, material or labour and they are easily applicable in real buildings. For unreinforced clay brick infill walls, a light steel sub-frame system was suggested that divides the infill panel zone into smaller individual panels, which requires additional labour and some cost. However, both systems can be engineered for seismic actions and their behaviour can be controlled by implementing the proposed details. The performance of the developed details were also confirmed by the numerical case study analyses carried out using Ruaumoko 2D on a reinforced concrete building model designed according to the NZ codes/standards. The results have confirmed that the implementation of the proposed low damage solutions is expected to significantly reduce the non-structural infill wall damage throughout a building.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. Sections of this brick wall at the front of the building have collapsed.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. Sections of this brick wall at the front of the building have collapsed.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A brick wall has fallen from this house, exposing the rooms within and leaving a pile of rubble in front. The ceiling has slumped and is held up with jacks. The photographer comments, "This was probably the result of the shallower February Christchurch earthquake rather than the bigger September one".

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A story of hope, at least when it comes to the rebuilding challenge ahead, particularly of Christchurch's badly damaged Cathedral. The Australian city of Newcastle suffered a major earthquake in 1989, and over the next few years put huge effort into rebuilding, virtually brick by brick, its ruined Cathedral. John McNaughton, who was the Lord mayor of Newcastle who oversaw the rebuild, joins us.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Rubble in front of a two-storey house on Peterborough Street, the brick side wall of which has fallen away, exposing the rooms inside. Further rubble from a neighbouring house lies in the foreground.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. The brick wall on one side of the building has collapsed, exposing the interior.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. The brick wall on one side of the building has collapsed, exposing the interior.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. The brick wall on one side of the building has collapsed, exposing the interior.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. The brick wall on one side of the building has collapsed, exposing the interior.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

The damaged Knox Church on Bealey Avenue. Bricks have fallen from the walls, exposing the wooden beams. The photographer comments, "You can now see how the old churches were constructed".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to the Repertory Theatre building. Part of the facade has collapsed onto the awning below, and bricks and masonry have spilled across the street. The building is cordoned off with road cones and police tape.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. The entranceway is supported with wooden bracing, and part of the brick wall beside the entrance has collapsed.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. Sections of the brick wall at the front of the building have collapsed. The entranceway is supported with wooden bracing.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of earthquake damage to the Crown Masonic Lodge on Wordsworth Street, also known as the Freemasons Centre. Sections of the brick wall at the front of the building have collapsed. The entranceway is supported with wooden bracing.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Bricks have fallen from the walls of the former Princess Cinema in New Brighton, exposing the interior. The photographer comments, "Back of the old Princess Cinema in New Brighton after the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand on 22 February. In this picture you can see inside the old cinema curtains. This building has now been knocked down as it was so dangerous".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to the Caxton Press building (left) and the adjoining building. In front is a pile of bricks, cordonned off with tape and road cones to keep the public away. Spray-painted codes show that the buildings have been checked by USAR.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Aromaunga Baxters Flowers nursery in Heathcote, Christchurch sits right above the point where the earthquake struck on 22 February 2011. The greenhouses on the steep slopes of the Port Hills, as well as a big old villa and other brick buildings were badly damaged. Ten years on co-owner John Baxter says the earthquake damage is still being repaired, but sales have been boosted by a lack of imported flowers due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A view down Victoria Street from the corner of Victoria Street and Bealey Avenue. On the left is the damaged Knox Church, where the brick has crumbled but the wooden roof frame is still intact. In front is a tent where the Army is guarding the cordon from.