Abstract:
Unreinforced masonry (URM) churches in New Zealand have proven to be highly vulnerable to earthquakes, as displayed during the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Recognising that churches function as important social hubs, it is critical for New Zealand to advance the data collection and understanding pertaining to the seismic performance of URM church buildings, with the aim of promoting heritage conservation and assuring public safety and post-disaster community wellbeing. With specific reference to the Anglican Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki, a study was undertaken to define an holistic approach for assessing the seismic vulnerability of URM churches. This study endeavoured to identify retrofitting interventions which are effective from a seismic engineering perspective and were conceived with respect to the conservation philosophy set by the ICOMOS New Zealand Charter. The proposed framework embodies both quantitative and qualitative input throughout the various stages of research such as data-collection, analysis, and vulnerability assessment. Selection of specific retrofitting solutions was achieved via an iterative design process where structural and heritage conservation requirements were considered in tandem, in order to privilege the historic architectural fabric.