Looking to the Future for Seismic Design – Considerations to improve NZ resilience 

Didier Pettinga, Charlotte Toma, Max Stephens and Brabhaharan Pathmanathan 

Recent earthquakes have highlighted that the design philosophy behind modern standards can result in costly repairs and the possible complete loss of a building after a major event. As the construction industry contributes significantly to the global carbon footprint, this raises several questions as we look to shift to a net-zero carbon economy. Namely, what are the carbon impacts of damage following large seismic events in urban areas? and what are the lifecycle carbon tradeoffs associated with designing more seismically resilient buildings? These questions will be discussed by looking at our shift towards sustainable design practices including the legal and social drivers behind the movement, and the links between seismic resilience and reducing our carbon impact.