Performance of churches during the Darfield earthquake of September 4, 2010

Abstract

This paper focuses on the structural behaviour and types of failure of churches located in the general Canterbury area following the Darfield earthquake of September 04, 2010. Given the variability in architectural styles, structural systems and properties of underlying soils, different patterns of damage were identified including out-of-plane gable failures, collapse of bell towers and cracking due to liquefaction and ground settlement. An architectural and historical landmark of Christchurch, the Christchurch Cathedral, suffered insignificant damage during the earthquake mainly because of its seismic retrofitting during 2006-2007. However many other church structures required retrofitting and supporting measures to avoid additional damage.