Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "View south along Madras Street".
A PDF copy of pages 30-31 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Homage to the Lost Spaces'. Photo: Andrew Hewson
The magnitude Mw 6.2 earthquake of February 22nd 2011 that struck beneath the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, caused widespread damage and was particularly destructive to the Central Business District (CBD). The shaking caused major damage, including collapses of structures, and initiated ground failure in the form of soil liquefaction and consequent effects such as sand boils, surface flooding, large differential settlements of buildings and lateral spreading of ground towards rivers were observed. A research project underway at the University of Canterbury to characterise the engineering behaviour of the soils in the region was influenced by this event to focus on the performance of the highly variable ground conditions in the CBD. This paper outlines the methodology of this research to characterise the key soil horizons that underlie the CBD that influenced the performance of important structures during the recent earthquakes, and will influence the performance of the rebuilt city centre under future events. The methodology follows post-earthquake reconnaissance in the central city, a desk study on ground conditions, site selection, mobilisation of a post-earthquake ground investigation incorporating the cone penetration test (CPT), borehole drilling, shear wave velocity profiling and Gel-push sampling followed by a programme of laboratory testing including monotonic and cyclic testing of the soils obtained in the investigation. The research is timely and aims to inform the impending rebuild, with appropriate information on the soils response to dynamic loading, and the influence this has on the performance of structures with various foundation forms.
A video about the Christchurch City Council housing complex on Conference Street in the Christchurch central city. The housing complex was unoccupied after the 22 February 2011 earthquake despite the housing shortage. Christchurch City Council said that the vacant units could not be lived in because of structural damage or damage to services. However, the building has been checked by structural engineers and many of the rooms have been deemed safe to occupy.
The Re:Start container mall was one of the first things to pop up in the city's derelict central business district after the February 2011 quake, but now it's preparing to close up shop, as Maja Burry reports.
A video of a tour through the Christchurch central city Red Zone. The video includes footage of Cathedral Square, Hereford Street, the Hotel Grand Chancellor, High Street mall, Gloucester Street, Worcester Street, Latimer Square, and AMI House.
Members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team and New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue Team in front of a collapsed house in the Christchurch central city. In the background, the Newstalk ZB Building can be seen.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Office for the deconstruction of the AMI Insurance Building at 29-35 Latimer Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Manikin propped against a portaloo in Manchester Street opposite 150 (R and R Sports)".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "While Victoria Square looks a little unkempt, it is still a place of beauty".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The police station viewed from the top of the BNZ building in Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The stained glass windows on the north side appear to be intact. ChristChurch Cathedral".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Two cranes towering above the partially-deconstructed Hotel Grand Chancellor on Cashel Street".
An aerial photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A view looking north-west over the central city towards Hagley Park. Hereford Street can be seen in the foreground, as well as Worcester Street running towards the the Christ Church Cathedral. The empty site of the Press Building and Warners hotel can also be seen".
A PDF copy of pages 58-59 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Port-A-Loos on the Pine Mound'. Photo: Elizabeth Peacock
A PDF copy of pages 52-53 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'The Gap Filler Summer Pallet Pavilion'. Render: Yun Kong Sung
Recovery from disasters is a significant issue faced by all countries in the world at various times. Governments, including central and local governments, are the key actors regarding post-disaster recovery because they have the authority and responsibility to rescue affected people and recover affected areas (Yang, 2010). Planning is a critical step in the recovery process and provides the basis for defining a shared vision for recovery, clear objectives and intended results. Subsequently, the concept of collaborative planning and ‘build back better’ are highly desirable in recovery planning. However, in practice, these concepts are difficult to achieve. A brief description of the recovery planning in Christchurch City following the Canterbury earthquakes 2011 is provided as an example and comparison. This research aims to analyse the planning process to develop a post-disaster recovery plan in Indonesia using Mataram City’s recovery plan following the Lombok Earthquakes 2018 as the case study. It will emphasise on the roles of the central and local governments and whether they collaborate or not, and the implications of decentralisation for recovery planning. The methodology comprised a combination of legislation analysis and semi-structure interviews with the representatives of the central and local governments who were involved in the planning process. The results indicate that there was no collaboration between the central and local governments when developing the recovery plan, with the former tend to dominate and control the planning process. It is because there are regulatory and institutional problems concerning disaster management in Indonesia. In order to improve the implementation of disaster management and develop a better recovery plan, some recommendations are proposed. These include amendments the disaster management law and regulations to provide a clear guideline regarding the roles and responsibilities of both the central and local governments. It is also imperative to improve the capacity and capability of the local governments in managing disaster.
A photograph of street art by several artists, including the DTR crew and Wongi. The artwork depicts Doctor Who in his Tardis. This city centre street is walled off by temporary fencing, road cones, and a road sign.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of High, Manchester, and Lichfield Streets. West view".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of Hereford and Manchester Streets, looking north east".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of High, Manchester, and Lichfield Streets. East view".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of High, Manchester, and Lichfield Streets. North view".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of Hereford and Manchester Streets, looking south west".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of Hereford and Manchester Streets, looking north west".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of Hereford and Manchester Streets, looking south east".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The west side of New Regent Street, seen from Armagh Street".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The intersection of Gloucester and Manchester Streets, looking south west".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Events have bypassed this notice as most buildings here have gone".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Ross Becker and the crane working on Clarendon Tower, Oxford Terrace".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Remnants of tributes left at the site of PGC building, Cambridge Terrace".