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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

A photograph of campervans parked in Hagley Park. The campervans served as temporary accommodation for emergency management personnel who travelled to Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph submitted by Raymond Morris to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "St. Elmo courts was situated on the corner of Hereford St. and Montreal St. Since demolished after the 2010-2011 earthquakes.".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph submitted by Sam Langley to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "Merivale shops a couple days after the Feb quake. All gone now. If you look closely you can see an oddly large mushroom.".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph submitted by Jenny to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "Hereford Street a couple of minutes after the quake. Dust from collapsed buildings visible in the background looking towards High Street.".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph submitted by Jo Reid to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "The clock on the intersection of Montreal St, Victoria Street and Salisbury Street just after February 22nd. The time froze.".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph submitted by Bettina Evans to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "Free hugs at Lyttelton arts and crafts market, handed out by American student volunteers a few weeks after the February earthquake.".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph submitted by Jennifer Middendorf to the QuakeStories website. The description reads, "22 February 2012. River of Flowers commemoration at Riccarton Bush. After the two minutes silence, people cast their flowers into the Avon.".