RAPID: Mapping of Damage in Precast Concrete Buildings from the February 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this Rapid Research Response (RAPID) award is to gather perishable data on the damage to two precast concrete buildings during the February 2011 magnitude 6.3 Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquake. This project is a collaboration among researchers from the University of California-San Diego, University of Arizona, and University of Canterbury. Project team members will travel to Christchurch and catalog earthquake damage (foundation, structural and non-structural) through visual observation. The post-earthquake structural state will be determined by means of collecting ambient vibration and potential aftershock dynamic response. An array of accelerometers loaned from the NEES facility at the University of California, Los Angeles will be temporarily deployed to monitor and record these vibrations. Sensors will be strategically distributed to capture the predominant modes of vibration and concentrated at the foundation to capture soil-structure interaction. This data will be post-processed for a first-level system identification and characterization of the damaged buildings. Cataloging post-earthquake damage is an established practice for the benefit of seismic design. Forensic engineering is an essential catalyst of modern building codes. The technique advances the field of earthquake engineering leading to better designs, seismic details, and construction methods. These two buildings are important to the earthquake engineering research community and the precast concrete industry in the United States because of relevant construction and designs. With state-of-the-art seismic design guidelines in place, the two buildings performed as intended, well beyond the life-safety minimum of seismic design philosophy in New Zealand and the United States. Structural damage was sustained as expected, with the buildings' structural integrity remaining intact. To replicate this desirable performance in future buildings, the damage needs documenting to advance the earthquake engineering practice before repairs eliminate the opportunity. Participation by researchers at three universities in two countries will strengthen the infrastructure for research on an international level. Educational outreach is leveraged by introducing an undergraduate student to international collaborative research, forensic engineering, sensors, data acquisition, and seismic resilience with an NSF-supported Research Experiences for Undergraduates site through the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.