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Research papers, The University of Auckland Library

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.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of Cranmer Courts on the corner of Kilmore and Montreal Streets. Pieces of masonry and chimneys have been removed from the building and placed on the ground in front. Wire fencing and road cones have been placed around the building to create a cordon.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of emergency management personnel crossing the intersection of High, Colombo, and Hereford Streets. In the background is the earthquake-damaged Fisher's Building. Large sections of the top storey have collapsed, the masonry spilling onto the footpath and damaging the awning.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake-damaged Oxford Terrace Baptist Church. Steels bracing has been used to stabilise the front of the building. Crumbled masonry and other rubble is still lying in front. Wire fences have been placed around the building site as a cordon.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake-damaged Oxford Terrace Baptist Church. Steels bracing has been used to stabilise the front of the building. Crumbled masonry and other rubble is still lying in front. Wire fences have been placed around the building site as a cordon.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

The damaged Cranmer Courts on the corner of Kilmore and Montreal Streets. The corner of the building has crumbled onto the street, which is now littered with broken masonry. Wire fencing placed around the building after the 4 September 2010 earthquake has managed to keep the debris away from the road.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake damage to the former Canterbury Public Library on the corner of Hereford Street and Cambridge Terrace. The bricks in the corner of the building have crumbled and masonry can be seen on the footpath below. Wire fences have been placed around the building as a cordon.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Cranmer Courts on the corner of Montreal and Kilmore Streets. Two chimneys have been removed from the building and placed on the footpath in front. Various pieces of fallen masonry can also be seen on the footpath. Wire fencing and road cones have been placed around the building as a cordon.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the Canterbury Provincial Chambers on Durham Street. The building has been cordoned off with wire fencing and the roof covered by plastic sheeting. Much of the masonry has been removed and a wooden structure constructed inside. A crane can be seen behind.

Research papers, The University of Auckland Library

This thesis describes the strategies for earthquake strengthening vintage clay bricks unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. URM buildings are well known to be vulnerable to damage from earthquake-induced lateral forces that may result in partial or full building collapse. The 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes are the most recent destructive natural disaster that resulted in the deaths of 185 people. The earthquake events had drawn people’s attention when URM failure and collapse caused about 39 of the fatality. Despite the poor performance of URM buildings during the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes, a number of successful case study buildings were identified and their details research in-depth. In order to discover the successful seismic retrofitting techniques, two case studies of retrofitted historical buildings located in Christchurch, New Zealand i.e. Orion’s URM substations and an iconic Heritage Hotel (aka Old Government Building) was conducted by investigating and evaluating the earthquake performance of the seismic retrofitting technique applied on the buildings prior to the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes and their performance after the earthquakes sequence. The second part of the research reported in this thesis was directed with the primary aim of developing a cost-effective seismic retrofitting technique with minimal interference to the vintage clay-bricks URM buildings. Two retrofitting techniques, (i) near-surface mounted steel wire rope (NSM-SWR) with further investigation on URM wallettes to get deeper understanding the URM in-plane behaviour, and (ii) FRP anchor are reported in this research thesis.

Research papers, The University of Auckland Library

Following the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes, a renewed focus has been directed across New Zealand to the hazard posed by the country‘s earthquake-vulnerable buildings, namely unreinforced masonry (URM) and reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with potentially nonductile components that have historically performed poorly in large earthquakes. The research reported herein was pursued with the intention of addressing several recommendations made by the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of Inquiry which were classified into the following general categories:  Identification and provisional vulnerability assessment of URM and RC buildings and building components;  Testing, assessment, and retrofitting of URM walls loaded out-of-plane, with a particular focus on highly vulnerable URM cavity walls;  Testing and assessment of RC frame components, especially those with presumably non-ductile reinforcement detailing;  Portfolio management considering risks, regulations, and potential costs for a portfolio that includes several potentially earthquake-vulnerable buildings; and  Ongoing investigations and proposed research needs. While the findings from the reported research have implications for seismic assessments of buildings across New Zealand and elsewhere, an emphasis was placed on Auckland given this research program‘s partnership with the Auckland Council, the Auckland region accounting for about a third each of the country‘s population and economic production, and the number and variety of buildings within the Auckland building stock. An additional evaluation of a historic building stock was carried out for select buildings located in Hawke‘s Bay, and additional experimental testing was carried out for select buildings located in Hawke‘s Bay and Christchurch.