Geotechnical Implications of the Canterbury Earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 
3 August 2012
3.30pm - 4.30pm
Venue: Room 201, Building 731, Tāmaki Innovation Campus
Speaker: Professor Michael C R Davies, Dean of Engineering and Pro Vice-Chancellor Tāmaki Innovation Campus
Pro Vice-Chancellor Tāmaki Innovation Campus Seminar Series
Abstract:
In September 2010 and February 2011 two large shallow earthquakes occurred in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The magnitude of the first earthquake was M 7.1 and of the second M 6.3, and the epicentres were 44 km and 6 km, respectively, from the CBD of Christchurch; which, with a population of 390,300, is the second largest city in New Zealand. Although of a lower magnitude than the September 2010 earthquake, mainly as a result of the proximity of the epicentre to the CBD, the February 2011 earthquake resulted in significantly greater groundshock in the CBD. This explains why the lower magnitude earthquake had a more destructive effect on structures and lifelines; with a resulting greater number of casualties. Geotechnical observations and implications of these earthquakes, such as surface fault rupture, rockfalls, liquefaction and lateral spreading are presented and explained.
Profile:
Professor Michael Davies has been the Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland since May 2007 and during 2009 became also Head of The University of Auckland Tāmaki Innovation Campus. In 2011, he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor Tāmaki Innovation Campus. Prior to this, from 1997 he was the Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Dundee in Scotland, where he was also Deputy Principal and Dean of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Professor Davies was previously a lecturer in the School of Engineering at Cardiff University. He obtained his first degree from King's College, University of London and his Masters and PhD degrees from Cambridge University. Following this he was a NATO/SERC Research Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is currently an Honorary Professor at both Zhejiang University of Technology, China and the University of Dundee. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand.
The seminar will be followed by refreshments (4.30pm to 6pm) in Room 220, Building 730.
