A story submitted by Sarndra to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Elizabeth to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Bettina to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Candy Green to the QuakeStories website.
On 4 September 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Darfield, 40 kilometres west of Christchurch, New Zealand. The quake caused significant damage to land and buildings nearby, with damage extending to Christchurch city. On 22 February 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, causing extensive and significant damage across the city and with the loss of 185 lives. Years on from these events, occasional large aftershocks continue to shake the region. Two main entomological collections were situated within close proximity to the 2010/11 Canterbury earthquakes. The Lincoln University Entomology Research Collection, which is housed on the 5th floor of a 7 storey building, was 27.5 km from the 2010 Darfield earthquake epicentre. The Canterbury Museum Entomology Collection, which is housed in the basement of a multi-storeyed heritage building, was 10 km from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake epicentre. We discuss the impacts of the earthquakes on these collections, the causes of the damage to the specimens and facilities, and subsequent efforts that were made to prevent further damage in the event of future seismic events. We also discuss the wider need for preparedness against the risks posed by natural disasters and other catastrophic events.
An entry from Deb Robertson's blog for 7 May 2013 entitled, "My Thoughts on the Rebuild of Christchurch".
Summary of oral history interview with Zara about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
A photograph submitted by Raymond Morris to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "This painting of the ‘Frame workshop’ 456 Colombo St. Sydenham is by artist Raymond Morris. It is one of many paintings he has done of buildings demolished in the earthquakes 2010-2011.".
A story submitted by Peter Seager to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Sarah to the QuakeStories website.
The sequence of earthquakes that has affected Christchurch and Canterbury since September 2010 has caused damage to a great number of buildings of all construction types. Following post-event damage surveys performed between April 2011 and June 2011, an inventory of the stone masonry buildings in Christchurch and surrounding areas was carried out in order to assemble a database containing the characteristic features of the building stock, as a basis for studying the vulnerability factors that might have influenced the seismic performance of the stone masonry building stock during the Canterbury earthquake sequence. The damage suffered by unreinforced stone masonry buildings is reported and different types of observed failures are described using a specific survey procedure currently in use in Italy. The observed performance of seismic retrofit interventions applied to stone masonry buildings is also described, as an understanding of the seismic response of these interventions is of fundamental importance for assessing the utility of such strengthening techniques when applied to unreinforced stone masonry structures. AM - Accepted Manuscript
A pdf transcript of Lois Mathie's second earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox Take 2 project. Interviewer: Samuel Hope. Transcriber: Natalie Looyer.
A pdf transcript of Troy Gillan's second earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox Take 2 project. Interviewer: Samuel Hope. Transcriber: Maggie Blackwood.
A photograph submitted by Philip Broderick Willis to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "We took this photo over a year after the quake. It was in a red-stickered restaurant in Cashel Mall. You can see exactly what the people in this building were doing on Feb 22.".
A photograph submitted by Andrew Panckhurst to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "Peter Symms being cared for shortly after being rescued by Mike Ryan (with blooddy jacket) from the Regent Building in Cathedral Square on 22 February 2011. Originally posted on the CHCH EQ Photos Facebook page".
A story submitted by Gaynor James to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Jennifer to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Lynette Evans to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Tracy to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Alison Downes to the QuakeStories website.
A pdf transcript of Part 2 of Laura's second earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox Take 2 project. Parts of this transcript have been redacted at the participant's request. Interviewer: Natalie Looyer. Transcriber: Natalie Looyer.
Summary of oral history interview with Nicky Wagner about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
A photograph submitted by Raymond Morris to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "The Provincial Hotel, corner Barbadoes and Cashel streets is one the buildings now missing after the 2011 earthquakes, paintings of others can be found on the artist Raymond Morris’s flickr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayso180/sets/72157626939956494/)".
An entry from Deb Robertson's blog for 3 September 2012 entitled, "There's a lot you can learn in two years....".
A photograph submitted by Bettina Evans to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "A memorial blanket in creation, depicting some of the buildings lost in the earthquake in Lyttelton. Dozens of people are helping with the sewing – this is a follow on from the heart stitching which happened spontaneously in Lyttelton on London street after the February earthquake.".
A story submitted by Rosie Belton to the QuakeStories website.
The city of Christchurch has experienced over 10,000 aftershocks since the 4th of September 2010 earthquake of which approximately 50 have been greater than magnitude 5. The damage caused to URM buildings in Christchurch over this sequence of earthquakes has been well documented. Due to the similarity in age and construction of URM buildings in Adelaide, South Australia and Christchurch (they are sister cities, of similar age and heritage), an investigation was conducted to learn lessons for Adelaide based on the Christchurch experience. To this end, the number of URM buildings in the central business districts of both cities, the extent of seismic strengthening that exists in both cities, and the relative earthquake hazards for both cities were considered. This paper will report on these findings and recommend strategies that the city of Adelaide could consider to significantly reduce the seismic risk posed by URM buildings in future earthquake.
Territorial authorities in New Zealand are responding to regulatory and market forces in the wake of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake to assess and retrofit buildings determined to be particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. Pending legislation may shorten the permissible timeframes on such seismic improvement programmes, but Auckland Council’s Property Department is already engaging in a proactive effort to assess its portfolio of approximately 3500 buildings, prioritise these assets for retrofit, and forecast construction costs for improvements. Within the programme structure, the following varied and often competing factors must be accommodated: * The council’s legal, fiscal, and ethical obligations to the people of Auckland per building regulations, health and safety protocols, and economic growth and urban development planning strategies; * The council’s functional priorities for service delivery; * Varied and numerous stakeholders across the largest territorial region in New Zealand in both population and landmass; * Heritage preservation and community and cultural values; and * Auckland’s prominent economic role in New Zealand’s economy which requires Auckland’s continued economic production post-disaster. Identifying those buildings most at risk to an earthquake in such a large and varied portfolio has warranted a rapid field assessment programme supplemented by strategically chosen detailed assessments. Furthermore, Auckland Council will benefit greatly in time and resources by choosing retrofit solutions, techniques, and technologies applicable to a large number of buildings with similar configurations and materials. From a research perspective, the number and variety of buildings within the council’s property portfolio will provide valuable data for risk modellers on building typologies in Auckland, which are expected to be fairly representative of the New Zealand building stock as a whole.
Oral history interview with Rosie Laing about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Summary of oral history interview with Coralie Winn about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.