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Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

New Zealand has a long tradition of using light timber frame for construction of its domestic dwellings. After the most recent earthquakes (e.g. Canterbury earthquakes sequence), wooden residential houses showed satisfactory life safety performance. However, poor performance was reported in terms of their seismic resilience. Although numerous innovative methods to mitigate damage have been introduced to the New Zealand community in order to improve wooden house performance, these retrofit options have not been readily taken up. The low number of retrofitted wooden-framed houses leads to questions about whether homeowners are aware of the necessity of seismic retrofitting their houses to achieve a satisfactory seismic performance. This study aims to explore different retrofit technologies that can be applied to wooden-framed houses in Wellington, taking into account the need of homeowners to understand the risk, likelihood and extent of damage expected after an event. A survey will be conducted in Wellington about perceptions of homeowners towards the expected performance of their wooden-framed houses. The survey questions were designed to gain an understanding of homeowners' levels of safety and awareness of possible damage after a seismic event. Afterwards, a structural review of a sample of the houses will be undertaken to identify common features and detail potential seismic concerns. The findings will break down barriers to making improvements in the performance of wooden-framed houses and lead to enhancements in the confidence of homeowners in the event of future seismic activity. This will result in increased understanding and contribute towards an accessible knowledge base, which will possibly increase significantly the use of these technologies and avoid unnecessary economic and social costs after a seismic event.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to a house in Richmond. Bricks have fallen from the walls, exposing the wooden framing beneath. Power lines between the house and a power pole have been stretched taut. The photographer comments, "The house and power pole have moved, stretching power lines taut as a guitar string".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of emergency management personnel standing next to an earthquake-damaged house. The wall on the left side of the house has collapsed and the bricks have spilled into the driveway in front. Wooden bracing has been placed in between the house and the fence, with wires connecting the top of the bracing to the peak of the roof.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to Englefield Lodge on Fitzgerald Avenue. A pile of bricks lies in front of the house, windows are boarded up, and wooden bracing is propping up the walls. A spray-painted message on a wall reads "We will try to save this house." The photographer comments, "A bike ride around the CBD. Englefield, Christchurch's oldest house, in Fitzgerald Ave".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of an earthquake-damaged house. Wooden bracing has been placed in between the house and the fence, with wires connecting the top of the bracing to the peak of the roof. Emergency management personnel are in the driveway to the right. In the foreground a section of the brick fence at the front of the property has toppled.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of an earthquake-damaged building in Christchurch. The wall on the side of the house has crumbled, and the bricks have fallen onto the fence and damaged it. Wooden planks have been used to brace the wall towards the back of the property. A red sticker on the front window indicates that the house is unsafe to enter.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to a house in Richmond. Bricks have fallen from the walls onto the driveway, and a large gap between the concrete foundation and the wooden framing shows how much the house has moved. The photographer comments, "The foundations and brick cladding moved, but the timber wall remained in position. The gap grew to over 400mm by the time the house was demolished.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The digger is working on the remains of Gough House, with the fragile remains of the wooden heritage building Shands Emporium (one of Christchurch's oldest retail buildings) still standing on Hereford Street".