Description

What homes performed best structurally in the Canterbury earthquakes and why? BRANZ has developed some simple building design advice to help ensure bracing performs as expected.

WHILE WE HOPE large earthquakes will never happen, they can provide valuable information about how buildings actually perform. This is extremely useful to supplement theoretical predictions of behaviour in earthquakes.

The Canterbury events gave a real-world insight into the bracing of light timber-framed buildings. By comparing buildings that were badly damaged and those that weren’t, we now have a better understanding of how the bracing in light timber-framed buildings (typically stand-alone dwellings) actually deals with earthquake forces.

Scope

This article includes:

• Lessons for bracing from Canterbury
• Rules for good bracing design