Session 1:

The Canterbury 2010/2011

Earthquakes
Overview of seismicity and impacts in Christchurch, New Zealand
New Zealand Tectonic Setting
New Zealand Seismicity

Christchurch
Christchurch
The Canterbury Earthquakes
Aftershock Magnitudes
M7.1 (Sep 2010)
M6.3 (Feb 2011) M6.3 (Jun 2011)
M6.0 (Dec 2011)
Notable Earthquakes and Max Recorded PGA’s

Sept 2010 Darfield (Canterbury)

Magnitude, Distance, Duration

Magnitude: 7.1 Magnitude: 6.3

Distance: 35 km (from Christchurch CBD) Distance: 5 km (from Christchurch CBD)
Duration: 35-40 seconds Duration: 15-20 seconds
Distance, duration and intensity
Footballs Mangos
Peak Ground Accelerations
 Building Code vs Ground Shaking

Reference: General Building Performance in the Christchurch CBD: a contextual report. Kam W., Pampanin S. November 2011
 What were the effects of this shaking?
As at Jan 2014
Before Feb 2011

• About 70 to 80% of the buildings in

the CBD to be demolished
• Considered unsafe or uneconomic
to repair
 Building Damage

Grand Chancellor Hotel

26 storeys
(formerly Christchurch’s tallest building)
Building Damage
Ground Damage - Liquefaction
Ground Damage - Liquefaction
Liquefaction – Sept 2010 M7.1
Liquefaction – Feb 2011 M6.3
Ground Damage - Lateral Spreading
Ground Damage - Settlement
 Damage – Infrastructure (fresh water)

The current estimate is that the earthquakes
damaged 51 kilometres of water supply mains. Not
fully assessed.

Structural damage to water storage reservoirs
(concrete tanks)

22 of the 175 fresh water wells were damaged so
that they could not be used. All but 64 wells require
some repairs

Types of damage:

Cracks and breaks in underground pipes.

Joint breakage

Contamination (relatively little)

Reservoir damage (largest reservoir cracked
and lost all its water)

Pump station damage (most operating but
require repair)

Well damage (lateral and vertical movement)
 Damage – Infrastructure (wastewater)

The earthquakes have damaged around 528
km (out of about 1700km) of the sewer
system,

Need to rebuild or replace 100 sewer pumping
stations.

Wastewater temporarily pumped into
waterways as an emergency diversion after
severe aftershocks

Treatment plant damage. The earthquakes
badly damaged the Christchurch Wastewater
Treatment Plant and its oxidation ponds and
clarifiers; operating at a reduced capacity.

Types of damage:

Cracked and broken pipes

Pipe blockages due to influx of silt and water into
pipes through cracks and breaks.

Collapses

Pump station damage

Loss of gradient.
Ground Damage - Affects on Waterways

Change in channel capacity

Flooding due to change

in ground elevation
Ground Damage - Cliff Collapse
Ground Damage - Rockfall
Ground Damage - Rockfall
Some Statistics

Major damage to about 50% of horizontal infrastructure
(roads, electricity, wastewater, fresh water)

Liquefaction-related damage to about 35% of homes

About 70 to 80% of buildings in the Central Business District to
be demolished (unsafe or uneconomic to repair)

Overall damage estimate ~ NZ$40 billion (NPR 2.7 trillion)

Approximately 20% of New Zealand GDP (Statistics NZ, 2014)
Some Key Learnings (From NZ)

Importance of structural detailing (falling building parts)

Resilient vs “damage proof” buildings

Design buildings/foundations that can tolerate movements

Ground conditions can change over short distances

Lack of connection between Geotechnical & Structural Engineers

Investigations and testing info not fully considered in design

Foundation performance:

Best: rafts and stiff mats

Worst: isolated pads, especially where liquefaction potential not investigated

Piles: unusual loading conditions

Liquefaction below bearing layer: base loading and punching

Loading on sides of piles; side resistance

Residual movement of piles under new loads
Some Key Learnings (From NZ)

Liquefaction

Focus first on susceptibility criteria: fines content, PI, ground water table

Liquefaction at shallow depths can have a significant impact on

buried services (water supply, waste water etc).

Line service trenches below water table with geosynthetic filter fabric

Flexible pipes, joints and connectors; increased sealing length at manhole
connections
What are the considerations for Nepal?

2015 1934
Scope – Day 1
09:30 – 09:45 Registration. Tea on arrival

09:45 – 10:00 Welcome and Introduction Team

10:00 – 10:55 1: The Christchurch, New Zealand earthquakes Rori

10:55 – 11:05 Interval

11:05 – 12:00 2: Geotechnical Investigations – Part 1 Hamish

12:00 – 12:30 Lunch

12:30 – 1:25 3: Geotechnical Investigations – Part 2 Hamish

1:25 – 1:35 Interval

1:35 – 2:30 4: Review of Soil Mechanics Paul

2:30 – 3:00 Afternoon tea

3:00 – 3:55 5: Seismic Design Issues Hamish

3:55 – 4:05 Interval

4:05 – 5:00 6: Retaining Walls Hamish/Paul