Media coverage: how earthquake-proof are our cities?

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