Initial Impressions from EERI Team Leader
There is also considerable damage to URM buildings which are historic structures. At a public meeting at City Hall, the mayor, and council (and the director of a newly opened recovery center–one stop shop for permits and advice) took questions from a packed audience. There is real concern about the loss of the historic fabric […]
Photos of Geotechnical Observations
Figure 1. Buckels steps. Figure 2. Lateral spread. Exisitng utility trench is a zone of weakness. Figure 3. Liquefaction. Sand ejecta and buckled pavement bricks. Figure 4. Photo of buckled light rail line. […]
Geotechnical and Structural Field Observations from Christchurch, February 2011 Earthquake, in New Zealand
Read the Report: Geotechnical and Structural Field Observations from Christchurch, February 2011 Earthquake, in New Zealand (22.4 MB PDF) Read the Article submitted for the 15WCEE: Understanding the Characteristics of Understanding the Characteristics of Christchurch Earthquake by Observing SDOF Systems (0.6 MB PDF)
Christchurch Earthquake – an overview
Read the Report: Christchurch Fact Sheets – Compiled (1.0 MB PDF)
Observations from the EERI Team
Today was the first full day here in Christchurch. The day kicked off at a Geotechnical Coordination meeting where rockfall/landslide hazard and risk assessment teams were coordinating their efforts. There’s an ongoing systematic effort by ~7 teams of engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers to assess the risk to homes in the eastern suburbs. This followed with a quick reconnaissance […]
Observations from the EERI Team
During the afternoon, we revisited a large heritage stone masonry building showing signs of unusual differential settlement, noted by the EERI team on earlier inspections. The large 1930’s L shaped building showed demonstrable settlement, tilting and liquefaction ejecta around its exterior. Maximum relative settlement was estimated at ~.2m to ground elevation. In the 1990’s the […]
Observations from the EERI Team
The day started in the Geotechnical Coordination meeting where assessment teams provided updates on specific areas they were tasked to map. The significant coordination of this effort became very evident as these areas had buildings needing both geotechnical (slope stability) and structural clearance to allow re-occupancy. Many of the building were red-tagged based on initial […]
Observations of Retaining Walls from the EERI Team
Of course, there were exceptions. Timber pile walls consistently performed well, or at least, they are still standing and look to be in great shape. As an example of the exception, I attached one photo where there is settlement and cracking at the top of a timber pile wall, but the walls itself is fantastic. […]
Earthquake Impacts to Rockfall Risk Management
Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. The volcanic rocks in this area are comprised of basaltic and trachytic lavas with interbedded breccias creating a blocky mass. On the ~500m slopes above the coastal road recent rockfall (up to 5m x 3m […]
Photos of Ground Failure from the EERI Team
Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Learning from Earthquakes: First person reports