The 4th of September 2010 Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury) earthquake had generated significant ground shaking within the Christchurch Central Business District (CBD). Despite the apparently significant shaking, the observed structural damage for pre-1970s reinforced concrete (RC) buildings was indeed limited and lower than what was expected for such typology of buildings. This paper explores analytically and qualitatively the different aspects of the "apparent‟ good seismic performance of the pre-1970s RC buildings in the Christchurch CBD, following the earthquake reconnaissance survey by the authors. Damage and building parameters survey result, based on a previously established inventory of building stock of these non-ductile RC buildings, is briefly reported. From an inventory of 75 buildings, one building was selected as a numerical case-study to correlate the observed damage with the non-linear analyses. The result shows that the pre-1970s RC frame buildings performed as expected given the intensity of the ground motion shaking during the Canterbury earthquake. Given the brittle nature of this type of structure, it was demonstrated that more significant structural damage and higher probability of collapse could occur when the buildings were subjected to alternative input signals with different frequency content and duration characteristics and still compatible to the seismicity hazard for Christchurch CBD.
At top left is text reading 'Christchurch pupils return to school...' The teacher has written the words 'Nosey', 'Bob', and 'Double' on the blackboard and says to the children 'Our first test today... Sort these into Parkers we love and Parkers we don't'... Context - the correct answers would be that we hate 'nosey parkers' and 'double parkers' but that we love 'Bob Parker'. Bob Parker is the Mayor of Christchurch and is generally considered to have done a remarkably good job of demonstrating calm and cheerfulness after the two earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, as well as having been able to chose fitting words to express grief and despair at so much loss. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings have repeatedly been shown to perform poorly in large magnitude earthquakes, with both New Zealand and Australia having a history of past earthquakes that have resulted in fatalities due to collapsed URM buildings. A comparison is presented here of the URM building stock and the seismic vulnerability of Christchurch and Adelaide in order to demonstrate the relevance to Australian cities of observations in Christchurch resulting from the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquake swarm. It is shown that the materials, architecture and hence earthquake strength of URM buildings in both countries is comparable and that Adelaide and other cities of Australia have seismic vulnerability sufficient to cause major damage to their URM buildings should a design level earthquake occur. Such an earthquake is expected to cause major building damage, and fatalities should be expected.
Under the caption 'Best value for money?' is a football stadium displaying a red cross. From within a voice proclaims the advantages of having a combined covered stadium, hospital and blood bank. Under CERA, the Christchurch Central Development Unit had planned for a covered sports stadium, with attached facilities and shops as one of the key sites in the Christchurch rebuild after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The 'blood bin' refers to the recent practice in rugby of sending off players with flesh wounds. There were also plans for a new hospital. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Two businessmen emerge from a building wondering whether 'Bill English' has ''Made any uplifting pronouncements on the economy or budget lately?..' On the footpath outside is Finance Minister Bill English wearing a sandwich board that reads 'the end is nigh' and carrying a banner that reads 'We're doomed'. Context - the impact of an already struggling economy of the Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Cartoon drawn in the style of a pen and ink drawing of the broken Christchurch Cathedral. One version has 'RIP' printed above the non-existant spire and the second has 'RIP' and the words 'Rest in Pieces'. A decision has been made to demolish the cathedral which was severely damaged by the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Two versions of this cartoon are available Title from file name Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Prime Minister John Key stands grinning on a cracked pedestal bearing the words 'Most popular P.M.' In the background is the Beehive flying a skull and crossbones flag. The landscape is a desert with cactus and dried bones and a vulture in a bare tree. A man and a woman comment that it looks as though the quake may have done damage in Wellington after all, that and the crash of the SCF fund. Refers to two major events in the Canterbury area in recent times that have incurred huge government costs; these are the collapse of the South Canterbury Finance Company and the earthquake that struck early Saturday morning 4th September. The South Canterbury Finance Company has been taken into receivership by the government which has guaranteed that all 30,000 fortunate high-risk investors will be paid out $1.6b thanks to the taxpayer. Treasury is assuming that the cost of the earthquake will reach $4 billion, including $2 billion worth of estimated damage to private dwellings and their contents, $1 billion of damage to commercial property, and $1 billion worth of damage to public infrastructure. There is a colour and a black and white version of this cartoon Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
A ship named 'NZ Ship of State' lies high and dry on rocks; the great jagged holes in her represent 'the recession', 'Pike River', 'Chch 1' and 'Chch 2'. A man standing nearby asks 'How will we refloat her?' and a second man answers '...by cutting Working for Families & interest-free student loans' Someone outside the frame says 'Where's the No. 8 wire?' Context - The New Zealand economy was stagnating before the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 and the Pike River Mine disaster before that. The government was already considering cutting Working for Families & interest-free student loans before the earthquakes struck and it seems that now they are trying to push through these policy changes using the earthquakes as an excuse. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Porritt Park was, before the earthquakes, the headquarters of hockey in this region. Two astro-turf fields (the main one was other side of the building), and corporate offices etc. The earthquakes buckled all the playing surfaces and damaged the buildings; a couple of smaller ones have been removed. Hockey shifted the other side of the city t...
The globe is depicted as a hand grenade; the skeletal remains of a hand reach out to 'pull the pin'. Context - the fragility of the world from a New Zealand point of view seen in the light of the Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 22 February 2011 and the present threat of a nuclear catastrophe caused by damaged nuclear power plants. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A huge fist representing 'quakes', that is wearing a boxing glove, thumps a man who represents 'CHCH' (Christchurch) 'WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!' The man is knocked out. Context - Magnitude 6.0 and 5.5 earthquakes rocked Christchurch again at 1pm and 2.20pm on 13th June 2011. These quakes follow the first earthquake on September 4th 2010 and the second on February 22nd 2011. (www.stuff.co.nz, 13 June 2011) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text above reads 'Cathedral rebuild?... The cartoon shows the Christchurch Cathedral as a bouncy cathedral full of jumping children. Context - Debate about the rebuilding of the cathedral after it was severely damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. There is a strong view that it needs to remain an icon at the heart of the city. It may have to be brought down completely as engineers consider the future for the iconic building. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
ACT leader Rodney Hide stands alone in the middle of a blasted plain that was once the 'Christchurch CBD' and says 'A level playing field, excellent. Now we can leave the rest to the market'. Context - Christchurch after the earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011. ACT explicitly promotes a free market philosophy - a (literal) level playing field in the Christchurch CBD sounds like an excellent opportunity to test the powers of the free market. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Shows Christchurch's Anglican cathedral receiving extensive treatment including blood, ambulances, scaffold and signs reading 'save!' In the background Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral says it wants its share of attention as well. Context: The focus of repairing the Christchurch Anglican cathedral appeared to draw focus and resources from the equally historic and damaged Catholic Cathedral. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The M7.1 Darfield earthquake shook the town of Christchurch (New Zealand) in the early morning on Saturday 4th September 2010 and caused damage to a number of heritage unreinforced masonry buildings. No fatalities were reported directly linked to the earthquake, but the damage to important heritage buildings was the most extensive to have occurred since the 1931 Hawke‟s Bay earthquake. In general, the nature of damage was consistent with observations previously made on the seismic performance of unreinforced masonry buildings in large earthquakes, with aspects such as toppled chimneys and parapets, failure of gables and poorly secured face-loaded walls, and in-plane damage to masonry frames all being extensively documented. This report on the performance of the unreinforced masonry buildings in the 2010 Darfield earthquake provides details on typical building characteristics, a review of damage statistics obtained by interrogating the building assessment database that was compiled in association with post-earthquake building inspections, and a review of the characteristic failure modes that were observed.
The cartoon is entitled 'seismic upheaval'. Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English stand near great seismic cracks in the ground and stare sadly at a huge wallet, 'Bill's boodle', belonging to Bill English. Vast quantities of banknotes spill out of the cash pocket in the wallet which also contains a 'travel card', a 'house card' and an 'expenses card'. The various cards in the wallet refer to expense account embarrassments relating to Bill English. Etched in the ground are the words 'Christchurch quake' and 'South Canterbury Finance'. The cartoon refers to two major events in the Canterbury area in recent times that have incurred huge government costs; these are the collapse of the South Canterbury Finance Company and the earthquake that struck early Saturday morning 4th September. The South Canterbury Finance Company has been taken into receivership by the government which has guaranteed that all 30,000 fortunate high-risk investors will be paid out $1.6b thanks to the taxpayer. Treasury is assuming that the cost of the earthquake will reach $4 billion, including $2 billion worth of estimated damage to private dwellings and their contents, $1 billion of damage to commercial property, and $1 billion worth of damage to public infrastructure. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
20130613_7577_1D3-24 My Trees cut down so a house being removed from behind could get out above the fence on one of those elevating house removal trailers. I don't know the story about the yellow (recycling) wheelie bin - the wheels have been removed. This was my house from March 2004 to mid-2012 when it was purchased by the government as it s...
20130125_1749_1D3-400 Road Closed 1 The Lyttelton side of Evans Pass is closed (since the earthquake 23 months ago - 22/02/11). Prior to the road tunnel (through the Port Hills) opening in the early 1960s this was the main access road to the port of Lyttelton. #3072
This paper presents the ongoing development of a new 3D seismic velocity model of Canterbury, New Zealand. The model explicitly represents the Canterbury sedimentary basin, and other significant geologic horizons, which are expected to have important implications on observed ground motions. The model utilizes numerous sources of data, including 3D regional tomography with a variable-depth inferred Moho, seismic reflection survey lines, geotechnical boreholes and well logs, spectral analysis of surface waves, and CPT logs which provide velocity constraints over their respective ranges of application. The model provides P- and S-wave velocity and density (i.e. Vp, Vs and p) over a grid of input points, and is presently being utilized in broadband ground motion simulations of the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes. Comparison of simulated ground motions with those observed in the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes will help provide a better understanding of the salient physical processes which characterized the unique set of strong ground motions recorded in this sequence of earthquake events.
In three small frames above the main frame, milk tankers are shown bumping wildly over Christchurch roads made uneven by the earthquakes of September 4 2010 and February 22 2011; and in the large frame below a man is painting out the word 'milk' on a tanker and replacing it with the word 'butter'. Context - the bad roads caused by the erathquakes in Canterbury have turned the milk into butter. Colour and black and white versions available Title from file name Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
A couple are woken by loud thuds, rumbles and crashes. A woman leaps up in bed in a panic saying 'My God! Not another aftershock!' Her husband says 'Nah! Another flamin' haka!' A newspaper on the bed has a headline that reads 'World Cup in full swing.' Context: The World Cup began on Friday 9th September and ends on 23 October. People in Christchurch are still regularly jolted by aftershocks to the earthquakes of September 2010 and February and June 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Shows the face of a man with a large tear rolling down his cheek ; in the tear is the word 'Christchurch'. Context - On 22 February 2011 at 12:51 pm (NZDT), Christchurch experienced a major magnitude 6.3 earthquake, which resulted in severe damage and many casualties. A National State of Emergency has been declared. This followed on from an original magnitude 7.1 earthquake on 4 September 2010 which did far less damage and in which no-one died. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In the top frames two children shout 'four point one', 'three point six', and 'five point two' and in the frame below it is seen that they are responding to bumps in the road as their mother drives through Christchurch streets. Context - The children have become expert at guessing the seismic intensity of earthquakes in Christchurch and are now applying them to bumps in the road. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text top left reads 'Downsizemic activity' and a seismic graph zigzags wildly but gradually tails off into the words 'Interest rates' which take a serious downwards trend. Context - The Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 which have had an impact on an already stagnating economy. The Reserve Bank has made a relatively large 50-point cut in its benchmark interest rate, the Official Cash Rate (from 3% to 2.5 per cent). Critics say that inflation is already running unacceptably high and there is a threat of much higher inflation in a year or two when the rebuilding of Christchurch begins to put pressure on limited resources. The Reserve Bank acknowledged these factors, but it has chosen instead to focus on the immediate impact of the earthquake on the economy and particularly on all-important business and consumer sentiment. (Press editorial 12 March 2011) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
This poster provides a comparison between the strong ground motions observed in the 22 February 2011 Mw6.3 Christchurch earthquake with those observed in Tokyo during the 11 March 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake. The destuction resulting from both of these events has been well documented, although tsunami was the principal cause of damage in the latter event, and less attention has been devoted to the impact of earthquake-induced ground motions. Despite Tokyo being located over 100km from the nearest part of the causative rupture, the ground motions observed from the Tohoku earthquake were significant enough to cause structural damage and also significant liquefaction to loose reclaimed soils in Tokyo Bay. The author was fortunate enough (from the perspective of an earthquake engineer) to experience first-hand both of these events. Following the Tohoku event, the athor conducted various ground motion analyses and reconniassance of the Urayasu region in Tokyo Bay affected by liquefaction in collaboration with Prof. Kenji Ishihara. This conference is therefore a fitting opportunity in which to discuss some of authors insights obtained as a result of this first hand knowledge. Figure 1 illustrates the ground motions recorded in the Christchurch CBD in the 22 February 2011 and 4 September 2010 earthquakes, with that recorded in Tokyo Bay in the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake. It is evident that these three ground motions vary widely in their amplitude and duration. The CBGS ground motion from the 22 February 2011 event has a very large amplitude (nearly 0.6g) and short duration (approx. 10s of intense shaking), as a result of the causal Mw6.3 rupture at short distance (Rrup=4km). The CBGS ground motion from the 4 September 2010 earthquake has a longer duration (approx. 30s of intense shaking), but reduced acceleration amplitude, as a result of the causal Mw7.1 rupture at a short-to-moderate distance (Rrup=14km). Finally, the Urayasu ground motion in Tokyo bay during the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake exhibits an acceleration amplitude similar to the 4 September 2010 CBGS ground motion, but a significantly larger duration (approx 150s of intense shaking). Clearly, these three different ground motions will affect structures and soils in different ways depending on the vibration characteristics of the structures/soil, and the potential for strength and stiffness degradation due to cumulative effects. Figure 2 provides a comparison between the arias intensities of the several ground motion records from the three different events. It can be seen that the arias intensities of the ground motions in the Christchurch CBD from the 22 February 2011 earthquake (which is on average AI=2.5m/s) is approximately twice that from the 4 September 2010 earthquake (average AI≈1.25). This is consistent with a factor of approximately 1.6 obtained by Cubrinovski et al. (2011) using the stress-based (i.e.PGA-MSF) approach of liquefaction triggering. It can also be seen that the arias intensity of the ground motions recorded in Tokyo during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake are larger than ground motions in the Christchurch CBD from the 4 September 2011 earthquake, but smaller than those of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Based on the arias intensity liquefaction triggering approach it can therefore be concluded that the ground motion severity, in terms of liquefaction potential, for the Tokyo ground motions is between those ground motions in Christchurch CBD from the 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 events.
An elderly couple sit having afternoon tea and chatting about Prince William's visit to Christchurch after the February 22 earthquake. The woman expresses delight that 'Prince William took time out to visit Christchurch' and her husband comments that there is 'Not much talk about becoming a republic lately'. Context - The Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 and Prince William's subsequent visit. Also discussion about New Zealand's becoming a republic; there is a Republican Movement who are promoting the idea of an elected head of state. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
An arm representing the 'Citizens & Volunteers of Christchurch' offers an Oscar Award for 'True Grit'. Context - Admiration at the way the people and the volunteers have managed after the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011. True Grit is a 2010 American Western film written and directed by the Coen brothers. It is the second adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, which was previously adapted for film in 1969 starring John Wayne. Colour and black and white versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
A man reading a newspaper wails and sobs when he discovers that Christchurch will not be hosting any Rugby World Cup games. The newspaper is covered with real disaster news like the Japanese earthquake and potential nuclear disaster, economy problems , and 'aftershock anxiety'. Context - The Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 that have led to the decision that because of the amount of damage to the venue plus infrastructures and accommodation for visitors the Rugby World Cup will not be played in Christchurch. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A signpost pointing 'West' and 'East'. The sign pointing West is intact; that indicating East is broken and barely hanging on to the post. Refers to the condition of Christchurch City after the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011; the western wealthier suburbs were less damaged than the poorer Eastern suburbs. Also, progress on repair and rehabilitation of eastern housing had been slow. The redesign of the city centre seemed to be a western suburb priority which ignored the poverty and misery of living conditions on the east. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon shows a desperate man representing 'Christchurch' who is clutching the end of a broken plank that protrudes from a crumbling cliff-face. He says 'Who said we're living ON the edge?!' Context - the man is suggesting that they are not On the edge but OVER it. Refers to the continuing hardships facing many Christchurch residents as earthquakes and aftershocks continue and many face large financial losses because of insurance problems. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).