Unreinforced masonry (URM) is a construction type that was commonly adopted in New Zealand between the 1880s and 1930s. URM construction is evidently vulnerable to high magnitude earthquakes, with the most recent New Zealand example being the 22 February 2011 Mw6.3 Christchurch earthquake. This earthquake caused significant damage to a majority of URM buildings in the Canterbury area and resulted in 185 fatalities. Many URM buildings still exist in various parts of New Zealand today, and due to their likely poor seismic performance, earthquake assessment and retrofit of the remaining URM building stock is necessary as these buildings have significant architectural heritage and occupy a significant proportion of the nation’s building stock. A collaborative research programme between the University of Auckland and Reid Construction Systems was conducted to investigate an economical yet effective solution for retrofitting New Zealand’s existing URM building stock. This solution adopts the shotcrete technique using an Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC), which is a polyvinyl alcohol fibre reinforced mortar that exhibits strain hardening characteristics. Collaborations have been formed with a number of consulting structural engineers throughout New Zealand to develop innovative and cost effective retrofit solutions for a number of buildings. Two such case studies are presented in this paper. http://www.concrete2013.com.au/technical-program/
A story submitted by Michelle Paterson to the QuakeStories website.
Summary of oral history interview with Peggy Kelly about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Transcript of Libi Carr's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Transcript of Colleen's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
The "Lyttelton Review" newsletter for 12 December 2011, produced by the Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre.
The "Lyttelton Review" newsletter for 10 October 2011, produced by the Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre.
A story submitted by LC to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Rose to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Chrissy Ashton to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Gary Manch to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Jenny Garing to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Paul Sterk to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Greg Cole to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Frank Hardy to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Scott Thomas to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Ali to the QuakeStories website.
Summary of oral history interview with Hana about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes. Pseudonym used to identify interviewee.
A photograph submitted by Anonymous to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "The demolition of our preschool opposite Cranmer Square. All children and teachers were evacuated safely with the help of builders working on the old Girl’s High building in front.".
A story submitted by Lin to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Jeremy Ellen to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Joan Curry to the QuakeStories website.
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".
This paper explores the scope of small-scale radio to create an auditory geography of place. It focuses on the short term art radio project The Stadium Broadcast, which was staged in November 2014 in an earthquake-damaged sports stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. Thousands of buildings and homes in Christchurch have been demolished since the Februrary 22, 2011 earthquake, and while Lancaster Park sports stadium is still standing, it has been unused since that date and its future remains uncertain. The Stadium Broadcast constructed a radio memorial to the Park’s 130 year history through archival recordings, the memories of local people, observation of its current state, and a performed site-specificity. The Stadium Broadcast reflected on the spatiality of radio sounds and transmissions, memory, post-disaster transitionality, and the im-permanence of place.
Summary of oral history interview with Zara about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.