University celebrates major earthquake milestones

Earthquake engineering and research capability at the University of Canterbury will increase dramatically this week with the launch of two major initiatives.

Both the Structural Engineering Laboratory (SEL) and the QuakeCoRE Centre of Research Excellence will be celebrated in a combined opening attended by the Hon Stephen Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education on Friday 15 April.

The SEL is a high-end seismic testing facility that will enable researchers to test the impact of seismic loadings on structures and soils in real time at a realistic scale.

The research and education programmes of QuakeCoRE focus on an earthquake resilient New Zealand where communities can recover rapidly after major events through mitigation and pre-disaster preparation, informed by world-class research.

Dr Rod Carr, Vice-Chancellor of UC says “These are two milestone initiatives that will play a vital role in the University’s ongoing commitment to a safer and more resilient community better able to withstand and recover from such events as the Canterbury earthquakes.

“Through Minister Joyce, the Government committed to provide up to $260 million in 2014 to support our UC Futures Programme, of which $187 has been received. The Structural Engineering Laboratory is the first building in that programme to open for business so we are delighted the Minister can join us for this celebration.”

Both ventures are highly collaborative with strong international links and will place the University on the world stage for earthquake research and engineering.

Professor Jan Evans-Freeman, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Engineering Department expects both the SEL and QuakeCoRE will be very appealing to engineering students from across New Zealand and around the world.

“The new Structural Engineering Laboratory will give students exciting, inspirational and real-world learning experiences. Undergraduates will take classes in a building that has high-end long-term seismic research experiments going on right next to them. New students will be embedded in the research environment from the very beginning of their studies.”

Professor Mark Davidson, Head of the University’s Civil and Natural Resources Engineering department is confident that with the new laboratory, UC’s existing Quake Centre and the new QuakeCoRE, the University will become a dynamic centre of expertise in earthquake resilience.

“The testing facilities in the Structural Engineering Laboratory will equip our academics with the tools and resources to have a greater impact and to contribute in a very meaningful way to earthquake infrastructure solutions and standards, both nationally and internationally.”

QuakeCoRE research works collaboratively on integrated multi-disciplinary programmes that include engineering, physical and social sciences.

QuakeCoRE Director, Prof Ken Elwood says “These are exciting times for earthquake resilience research in New Zealand with the opening of world-class facilities and the launch of QuakeCoRE, engaging researchers from across New Zealand in multi-disciplinary research and rapid translation to industry. With this opportunity rising from the devastation of the Canterbury Earthquakes, we are well equipped to help New Zealand communities improve their earthquake resilience.”

The opening will take place in the Structural Engineering Laboratory itself where the Minister will cut a 200mm wide ribbon attached to a gantry crane 18 metres high to help showcase the immense proportions of the facility.

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