Benefits in the centre for earthquake research

National economic and health benefits in the centre for earthquake resilience

May 10, 2015

A University of Canterbury earthquake engineering expert sees economic and health benefits from the university being awarded $21.5 million of government funding over five years to run the QuakeCore, centre of research excellence for earthquake resilience.

QuakeCore deputy director Associate Professor Brendon Bradley says that with the ever-increasing costs of the Christchurch rebuild now estimated at more than $40 billion, the most significant economic outcome of QuakeCoRE will stem from the improved performance of New Zealand infrastructure in future earthquakes.

“This will reduce the direct financial losses from damage to infrastructure and the indirect losses from businesses and social disruption. Also by identifying and mitigating life-safety risks in existing earthquake-prone buildings, QuakeCoRE research will substantially reduce injury and loss of life in future earthquakes as well as ensuring that health-related facilities are immediately operational post-earthquake, enabling society to continue to function as normally as possible.”

Associate Professor Bradley will be working with Professor Ken Elwood from Auckland University, the director of QuakeCore. The centre will place New Zealand at the worldwide forefront of earthquake disaster resilience.

“By utilising New Zealand as a natural earthquake laboratory, we will produce new knowledge on the seismic response of the built environment and design innovative technologies and decision-support tools enabling effective risk management and rapid recovery of the nation’s communities,” Associate Professor Bradley says.

“QuakeCoRE will foster innovative research to achieve a step-change in the earthquake resilience of New Zealand communities. Earthquake resilience is necessarily multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional, requiring cost-effective and socially-acceptable engineering solutions for infrastructure components.

“The centre will enable new world-class experimental facilities currently being built at both Canterbury and Auckland universities to be available to all QuakeCoRE researchers, providing a hub for research and end-user collaboration.

“QuakeCoRE researchers are also leaders in the development of implementation standards such as building codes and guidelines, ensuring swift implementation of research results in the design and management of New Zealand infrastructure.

“Government and industry will be engaged through flagship research projects, workshops and annual meetings. Through demonstrated excellence such as the civil engineering at the University of Canterbury, QuakeCoRE will train the next generation of practitioners and researchers to achieve long-lasting impacts in the sector. The outcomes from QuakeCoRE will span New Zealand’s economy, society, and environment.

“QuakeCoRE research will underpin export growth in New Zealand goods and services related to earthquake engineering, principally through increased international competitiveness of our engineering consultants engaged in our research and training programmes and the development and sale of novel seismic-resistant systems and devices, and patented software tools for seismic protection of infrastructure.

“We want an earthquake-resilient New Zealand where communities recover rapidly after major earthquakes as a result of mitigation and pre-disaster preparation informed by internationally-leading research. A reduction in infrastructure damage, fewer casualties and lower business disruptions, through faster recovery in future major earthquakes will reduce stress and long-term psychological impacts in affected communities.

“Our public outreach activities and education programme for schools will increase public awareness of earthquake risks and mitigation options, driving societal expectations toward the argued need for improved earthquake resilience.

“By identifying and mitigating life-safety risks in existing earthquake-prone buildings, QuakeCoRE research will significantly reduce injury and loss of life in future earthquakes as well as ensuring that health-related facilities are immediately operational post-earthquake, enabling society to continue to function as normal,” Associate Professor Bradley says.

The University of Canterbury is well acknowledged for its post-earthquake engineering work such as its timber buildings and bridges. The university’s new structural engineering laboratory is currently under construction.

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