Christchurch women's hospital: Analysis of measured earthquake data during the 2011-2012 Christchurch earthquakes

A network of acceleration and displacement sensors installed in the Christchurch Women's Hospital (CWH) in July 2011 captured an extensive range of earthquake signals, allowing for a unique opportunity to analyze the performance of the New Zealand South Island's only base-isolated structure. Key characteristics of a range of earthquake signals, including frequency spectra and response patterns, are identified, with particular focus on the swarm of earthquakes on 23 December 2011, including four earthquake events greater than magnitude 5.0 on the Richter scale. The findings indicate that the response of the isolators and the superstructure was essentially elastic for the events analyzed during this period. Accelerations measured above and below the isolators were similar, indicating that the behavior of the devices resembled that of rigid blocks. No significant rocking or torsional motion of the building was observed. © 2014, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

Duke Scholars

Author Henri P. Gavin Civil and Environmental Engineering