Following the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake a comprehensive damage survey of the unreinforced masonry (URM) building stock of Christchurch city, New Zealand was undertaken. Because of the large number of aftershocks associated with both the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the earlier 4 September 2010 Darfield earthquake, and the close proximity of their epicentres to Christchurch city, this earthquake sequence presented a unique opportunity to assess the performance of URM buildings and the various strengthening methods used in New Zealand to increase the performance of these buildings in earthquakes. Because of the extent of data that was collected, a decision was made to initially focus exclusively on the earthquake performance of URM buildings located in the central business district (CBD) of Christchurch city. The main objectives of the data collection exercise were to document building characteristics and any seismic strengthening methods encountered, and correlate these attributes with observed earthquake damage. In total 370 URM buildings in the CBD were surveyed. Of the surveyed buildings, 62% of all URM buildings had received some form of earthquake strengthening and there was clear evidence that installed earthquake strengthening techniques in general had led to reduced damage levels. The procedure used to collect and process information associated with earthquake damage, general analysis and interpretation of the available survey data for the 370 URM buildings, the performance of earthquake strengthening techniques, and the influence of earthquake strengthening levels on observed damage are reported within. http://15ibmac.com/home/
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
Transcript of Sarah Shaw's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Video of Sarah Shaw's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Two days after the 22 February 2011 M6.3 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, three of the authors conducted a transect of the central city, with the goal of deriving an estimate of building damage levels. Although smaller in magnitude than the M7.1 4 September 2010 Darfield earthquake, the ground accelerations, ground deformation and damage levels in Christchurch central city were more severe in February 2011, and the central city was closed down to the general public. Written and photographic notes of 295 buildings were taken, including construction type, damage level, and whether the building would likely need to be demolished. The results of the transect compared favourably to Civil Defence rapid assessments made over the following month. Now, more than one year and two major aftershocks after the February 2011 earthquake these initial estimates are compared to the current demolition status to provide an updated understanding of the state of central Christchurch.
A photograph of students at the University of Canterbury attending an earthquake memorial service on the C Block Lawn on the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of students at the University of Canterbury attending an earthquake memorial service on the C Block Lawn on the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of students at the University of Canterbury attending an earthquake memorial service on the C Block Lawn on the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Filing cabinets shaken open in the English department office after the 23 December 2011 earthquake. The filing cabinets were secured to the floor following February's earthquake, so did not tip over.
A photograph of flowers placed in road cones to commemorate the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of flowers placed in road cones to commemorate the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of flowers placed in road cones to commemorate the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of the focus assembly from the Townsend Telescope. The assembly was damaged during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Avonhead Park Cemetery Interment Site. File reference: CCL-2012-02-27-AvonheadParkCemeteryIntermentSite-February-2012 DSC_025.JPG From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries.
Avonhead Park Cemetery Interment Site. File reference: CCL-2012-02-27-AvonheadParkCemeteryIntermentSite-February-2012 DSC_024.JPG From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries.
Part of a house, now dangerously close to the cliff edge due to rock fall during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A computer tipped over and files fallen on the floor in the English department office after the 23 December 2011 earthquake.
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, the damage suffered by unreinforced stone masonry buildings is reported and different types of observed failures are described. A detailed technical description of the most prevalently observed failure mechanisms is provided, with reference to recognised failure modes for unreinforced masonry structures. The observed performance of existing seismic retrofit interventions is also provided, as an understanding of the seismic response of these interventions is of fundamental importance for assessing the vulnerability of similar strengthening techniques when applied to unreinforced stone masonry structures.
Avonhead Park Cemetery Interment Site. File reference: CCL-2012-02-27-AvonheadParkCemeteryIntermentSite-February-2012 DSC_020.JPG From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries.
A photograph of a flower in a road cone. On the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake, people were encouraged to place flowers in road cones as a way of honouring those who lost their lives during the earthquake.
Following the magnitude 6.3 aftershock in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 22 February 2011, a number of researchers were sent to Christchurch as part of the New Zealand Natural Hazard Research Platform funded “Project Masonry” Recovery Project. Their goal was to document and interpret the damage to the masonry buildings and churches in the region. Approximately 650 unreinforced and retrofitted clay brick masonry buildings in the Christchurch area were surveyed for commonly occurring failure patterns and collapse mechanisms. The entire building stock of Christchurch, and in particular the unreinforced masonry building stock, is similar to that in the rest of New Zealand, Australia, and abroad, so the observations made here are relevant for the entire world.