Improving Post-Earthquake Emergency Management of Heritage Buildings

Abstract

The emergency response is one of the most thorny and challenging activities for the local and national authorities. It is necessary to act quickly and in an effective manner - any delay or misstep could cost lives and prolong recovery time. To ensure the success of the operations, it is crucial to rely on clear regulation, well-established and tested procedures, and to draw from a pool of trained personnel with access to effective technical tools. New Zealand’s emergency response framework, which is currently under review, is characterized by a lack of assessment guidelines and procedures for historic buildings. This apparent gap in regulation and industry practice may result in irremediable loss of heritage buildings following future seismic events. This was observed in Ōtautahi-Christchurch following the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquakes where almost half of the central city’s listed buildings were lost in the emergency response and recovery phase. In contrast, overseas experiences demonstrates the benefits of integrating heritage expertise within the disaster risk management response to facilitate better informed decisions.

Due to their intrinsic heritage value, non-standard construction details, and unique materials, the assessment of heritage structures presents additional complexity when compared to the assessment of contemporary structures. This paper outlines our proposed pathway to fill the current gap in the New Zealand regulatory framework and develop emergency response procedures to facilitate the emergency management and rapid assessment of built heritage.