Reconstructing Christchurch: A Seismic Shift in Building Structural Systems
After the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes, much of the Christchurch Central Business District (CBD) was demolished, and a new city has emerged in its place. This document describes a study conducted to:
- Quantify the extent to which various types of structural system have been used in the new buildings constructed by early 2017.
- Identify some of the drivers that have influenced decisions about the selection of structural material and specific structural systems used.
The study involved a series of interviews with the structural designers of more than 60% of the post-earthquake buildings constructed to date in Christchurch’s CBD (i.e., 74 buildings), as well as with engineers from Wellington and Auckland, an architect, a project manager, and a developer. Data was also collected from various sources (including Christchurch’s City Council database), and quantitative information on structural forms and decision drivers has been assembled for the 74 buildings considered.