By Mary Comerio.
September 17, 2010. Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
The University of Canterbury had done excellent earthquake preparedness planning and the head of facilities was at the university within minutes of the earthquake, and began the process of organizing safety inspections, followed by detailed reassessments. One key issue was security because power outages meant buildings were unlocked. Restoring computer systems (IT) was also a challenge to restore because of power interruptions. Overall the damage was primarily non-structural to stairs, finishes at seismic joints, ceilings and elevators. Some sprinklers were set off by ceiling movement, and one 8 story building had an open water tank on the roof. The water sloshed out of the tank and caused water damage in labs. About one third of campus buildings had some nonstructural damage while 75% had contents damaged (files overturned, books off shelves, shelves overturned, etc).
The University was initially closed for one week, but during the clean-up, it was decided to extend the closure for a second week, with a phased return for students on the Thursday-Friday of the second week. On those days, graduate students with research offices were allowed in to clean up their offices, and faculty were in meetings to organize the teaching and exam program for the end of the semester.
Lincoln University is an agricultural research university with 4000 students, in SW Canterbury. The damage to pre-76 code buildings there was similar to UC, with 181 broken windows (in one building where detailing was brittle). Library books were knocked off shelves and lab beakers were broken, but there was not significant contents damage. A complex of historic URM buildings was severely damaged, but adjacent buildings which had been retrofit for a library were undamaged. The institution was closed one week, after which, students were back in class and in their labs. Many students (particularly international students) stayed in dorms on campus during the week the university was closed and helped with the clean up.
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| Figure 1. Undamaged buildings at Lincoln University. | Figure 2. Damaged building at Lincoln University | Figure 3. View from outside of Lincoln University Lab with glass breakage. | ||
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| Figure 4. View of lab inside. | Figure 5. Tiles at joint in building of University of Canteburry. | Figure 6. Seminar room after ceiling fell and was cleaned up. | ||
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| Figure 7. On the upper floors books fell, but shelves were not overturned. | Figure 8. Damage to contents on 3rd floor. | Figure 9. Laboratory equipments were not damaged. | ||
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| Figure 10. Laboratory equipments were not damaged. |
(b) Tanks fell because chains pulled out from walls.
