The Performance of Heritage Buildings in the 2010/2011 Christchurch Earthquake Swarm

摘要

On 4th September 2010 a M_w 7.1 earthquake struck the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It was followed by numerous aftershocks, some of which were large enough to be significant earthquakes in their own right. There were no known faults in and around Christchurch City until 4th September 2010. The city of Christchurch was settled based on plans drawn up in England by the Canterbury Association and the early buildings were therefore built largely in unreinforced stone and brick masonry, known as URM buildings (unreinforced masonry). The 2010 and 2011 earthquake swarm has affected the heritage building stock severely, with many buildings either collapsing.