Yesterday, the SMC held an online briefing in which geologist Martha Savage and engineer Andy Buchanan explained how ‘seismic design’ has developed over the years in NZ, how earthquake-proof our buildings and cities are, and talked about the September 4 Darfield earthquake.
Amongst topics discussed: the fact that no one was killed in the Darfield earthquake was, said Buchanan, a mixture of luck and good building design. Savage spoke about the need to begin thinking about the impact a larger earthquake, from the Alphine Fault, could have on tall buildings in Christchurch.
Media coverage:
NZ Herald: Lack of quake deaths part ‘fluke’ and part good design
The Press: Alpine shake ‘no worse’, say scientists