Developing a Versatile Rescue Engineering Capability And How It was Applied in the Canterbury Earthquakes Engineers Australia Workshop: Supporting Humanitarian Outcomes Sydney, 20 October 2011
Dave Brunsdon db@kestrel.co.nz
New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering
Presentation Overview 1. Overview of NZ’s rescue engineering capability 2. The engineering response to the 4 September 2010 earthquake 3. The engineering response to the 22 February 2011 earthquake 4. Engineering issues in the recovery phase – where are things now?
Overview of NZ’s Rescue Engineering Capability Urban Search and Rescue Building Safety Evaluation 3
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What is USAR?
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) involves: The location, rescue and initial medical stabilisation of victims trapped in confined spaces following a structural collapse
It is an integrated multi-agency response beyond the capability of normal rescue arrangements
Led by the NZ Fire Service 5
Origins of USAR Internationally ď Ž
1985 Mexico earthquake
New Zealand ď Ž
Prompted by NZ Earthquake Engineering Society reconnaissance visits following the 1994 Northridge and 1999 Turkey and Taiwan earthquakes 6
NZ Risk Context
Single collapse
likelihood
A few collapses Multiple structural collapse
•Impact •Structural collapse •landslip •Landslip •Distant or moderate earthquake
•Urban earthquake •Overwhelming earthquake
consequence 7
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Newcastle Worker’s Club
Operational Role of the Engineer
Engineers provide key advice to USAR Task Force teams conducting rescue activities
• Determine potential for further collapse • Monitoring of building movements • Identify hazards • Determine point of entry for search and rescue teams 13
Focus of USAR Engineer Training USAR Engineering Awareness
Target – engineers of any technical discipline and level of experience
Focus – awareness of USAR arrangements and engineering involvement at a collapse site
NZ USAR Engineering Specialist (national operational resource)
Target - Chartered Professional structural & civil engineers (incl. geotechnical)
Focus - operating within a structural collapse site (overall structure & element stability) 14
USAR Engineering Capability Objectives NZ USAR Engineering Specialist (Contracted) (3-4 per Task Force incl. Geotech; ~12 nationally) USAR Support Engineers (~20 Nationally)
USAR Engineering Specialist Training Course
Structural/Geotech Engineers At or near CPEng
Graduate Engineers With active interest in rescue engineering
USAR Engineering Awareness Course
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Current USAR Engineering Capability
24 USAR Engineering Specialists 17 Structural, 3 Civil, 4 Geotechnical 10 contracted to Task Forces Other support engineers in regional centres
Plus ~60 other Engineers nationally trained for USAR Awareness 16
Building Safety Evaluation
Scope of Building Safety Evaluation Overall Damage Within hours after Survey the event
Emerg Services & Council staff
Rapid Assessment
During period of state of emergency
Volunteer engineers, architects, bldg professionals
Detailed Engineering Evaluation
Immediate for critical structures; longer term for others
Contracted engineers, architects, loss adjusters
Rapid Assessment Placards Based on ATC-20
• INSPECTED:
No restriction on Use or Occupancy
• RESTRICTED USE: No entry except on essential business • UNSAFE:
Do Not enter or occupy
‘Inspected’
This building has been briefly inspected on the EXTERIOR ONLY and no apparent structural hazard has been found Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation
‘Restricted Use’
Some risk from damage in all or part of building Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation
‘Unsafe’
For damaged buildings that are unsafe for occupancy Post-Disaster Building Safety Evaluation
Newcastle December 1989
Gisborne December 2007
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Padang, West Sumatra September 2009
Epicentre 7.6 RS 30 September 09 17:16 hrs
Padang Earthquake Overview • Mw 7.6 earthquake on 30 September 2009 at
1716 hours • The earthquake caused ~1,195 deaths and
significant damage to ~140,000 houses and 4,000 other buildings • Ten NZ structural engineers volunteered to
undertake rapid post-earthquake building safety evaluations of damaged buildings
Enhancing Level 2 Assessment Assessment Category
Usability Category (Safety Focus)
Light Damage/ Green – Inspected
G1 – Occupiable, no immediate further investigation required G2 – Occupiable, repairs required
Medium Damage/ Yellow – Restricted Use
Y1 – No entry to parts until repaired or demolished Y2 – Short-term entry
R1 – Significant damage – repairs/ Heavy Damage/ strengthening possible Red - Unsafe R2 – Significant damage – demolition likely
Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction - AusAid • “Strengthen national and local capacity in disaster management in Indonesia and a more disaster resilient region” – – – –
Training and outreach Risk and vulnerability modelling Research and innovation Partnerships
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The Engineering Response to the 4 September 2010 Earthquake
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The Canterbury Earthquake Series 4 September 2010: Magnitude 7.1
The Wakeup Call 26 December 2010: Magnitude 5.1
The Warning 22 February 2011: Magnitude 6.3
The Real Tragedy 13 June 2011: Magnitude 6.3
Another Setback
Darfield, Canterbury 4 September 2010
M7.1
ESC Meeting, Montpellier, September 9, 2010
Rapid Assessment Placards Based on ATC-20
• INSPECTED:
No restriction on Use or Occupancy
• RESTRICTED USE: No entry except on essential business • UNSAFE:
Do Not enter or occupy
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The Engineering Response to the 22 February 2011 Earthquake
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12:51pm Tuesday 22 February M6.3
The NZ USAR Response
TF 2 mobilised within an hour of the earthquake
Most of TF 1 and TF 3 arrived via Air Force Hercules late evening
TF 1 and TF3 equipment and additional personnel via road and ferry arrived in ChCh next morning
A total of 170 Task Force members and National Management Team personnel were active over the following four weeks
Support from the Civil Defence Response Teams and their volunteer members
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The International USAR Response
Teams from a range of countries arrived over the next few days: Australia (Queensland and NSW, followed by a composite Aust team) United States (California TF2) United Kingdom Japan Taiwan Singapore China 57
The USAR Engineering Response
14 USAR Engineers responded to Christchurch by the end of Tuesday 22nd; a peak of 19 were involved on the Thursday and Friday
Over the following four weeks, more than 260 person days were worked by 23 USAR Engineers
Plus three USAR Engineers travelled to Japan with the NZ team
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The USAR Response – Phase 1
Location, medical treatment and extrication of live victims (~70) PGC - 28 NZ CTV Building - 18 The Press Building – 4 plus ~ 20 from buildings by crane and helicopter
The last live extrication was on the afternoon of Wednesday 23 February 59
PGC Building
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PGC Building
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CTV Building
CTV Building
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Hotel Grand Chancellor
The USAR Response – Phase 2 ď Ž
Full search of all buildings within the Four Avenues for live victims and the deceased - Recovery of bodies where encountered (including prolonged operations at PGC and CTV buildings) - Checking every room in every building was necessary to meet Police Disaster Victim Identification (coronial) requirements
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The USAR Response – Phase 3 ď Ž
All streets and remaining buildings checked and cleared of live victims and the deceased - Using controlled deconstruction to access spaces too dangerous for direct USAR access - Commenced 2 March (Day 9) - Included supervision of deconstruction to make CBD streets safer for emergency personnel 69
Roles of the USAR Engineers
CBD Buildings • Direct support of rescue and recovery operations • Least dangerous and quickest access routes to likely void spaces; stabilisation measures, etc
• Arranging for surveyors to monitor buildings of concern • Initial accessing of significantly compromised multi-storey buildings, and advising on stabilisation measures 71
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Roles of the USAR Engineers (2)
Port Hills Landslides • Checking out premises directly affected by rockfalls and landslips for victims • Establishing which properties required evacuations • Establishing monitoring arrangements • Working with CCC and local Geotechnical engineers to evaluate the stability of hillsides and set criteria for re-occupancy
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Unstable rock outcrop (rockfall source)
Rock Bounce into House
Building Evaluation Data Totals As at 0900 4 April 2011 Red
Yellow
Green
Total inspected
Commercial
977
1,093
3,221
5,291
CBD (4 Aves)
1,058
1005
2,253
4,316
Residential
1,776
Not recorded
Not recorded 60,951
Heritage
377
Not recorded
Not recorded 1,086
Total assessments entered 66,242 (being the total of Commercial and Residential zoned buildings in Christchurch). Light Search and Rescue Teams visited a further 72,000 houses in lesser affected areas.
Engineering Issues in the Recovery Phase Where are things at now?
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Department of Building and Housing
Engineering Advisory Group
• Two workstreams: Residential and Commercial • Representation from: – Department of Building and Housing – Earthquake Commission – Building Research Association of NZ (BRANZ) – GNS Science – Structural Engineering Society (SESOC) – NZ Society for Earthquake Engineering – NZ Geotechnical Society
DBH Engineering Advisory Group Objectives • Preparing technical guidance for assessing, repairing and reconstructing buildings in Canterbury • Promoting common and consistent approaches • Aiming to keep engineers, councils and insurers on the same page • For residential properties, maximising the use of generic solutions and minimising the extent of specific engineering input (geotech and structural) required for the majority of cases
Hazards – Liquefaction and no build areas
Case Study: Clarendon Towers
Elongation of the beams – pushes out the columns • Loss of connection: floor - supports
?
?
N-W corner column
Corner pushed out
Cold-drawn wire mesh fractures
• Middle bay
Interesting Issue . . . .
Demolition and Rubble Disposal • Vast difference in cost of disposing ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ demolition material • Challenges in resolving the difficulties between owners, insurers and councils • Including how to handle otherwise undamaged neighbouring buildings
Hotel Grand Chancellor
Neighbouring Hotel
Engineering Issues - Commercial • Critical Structural Weaknesses typically cause collapses – Critical Configurational Weaknesses – Critical Detailing Weaknesses
• Configurational Weaknesses include – Vertical Irregularity – Plan Irregularity
Vertical Irregularity Severe
Significant
Insignificant
Soft Storey
Lateral stiffness varies > 150%
Lateral stiffness Lateral stiffness varies 100â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 150% varies < 100%
Mass Discontinuity
Mass varies >150% between adjacent floors
Mass varies 100 to 150% between adjacent floors
Mass varies <100% between adjacent floors
Vertical Discontinuity
Any element contributing > 0.5 stiffness of the lateral force resisting system discontinues vertically
Any element contributing > 0.3 stiffness of the lateral force resisting system discontinues vertically
Elements contributing to the lateral force resisting system are continuous vertically
Earthquake Risk Buildings Equivalence to New Building (% of current code) 100%
Earthquake Risk Category Low Earthquake Risk
67%
Moderate Earthquake Risk 33%
High Earthquake Risk Earthquake Prone Building Improvement required under Building Act 2004)
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Engineers and Risk Reduction Think Resilience • Designing resilience into key facilities and infrastructure networks • For buildings as a whole, the significance of Importance Levels • Giving special consideration to parts of buildings that should have particular resilience
Building Importance Levels Table 3.2 AS/NZS 1170 Part 0:2002
1 2 3
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Structures presenting a low degree of hazard to life and other property Normal structures and structures not in other importance levels
<30m2; farm buildings; isolated structures Houses, office buildings, car parking buildings
Structures that as a whole may contain people in crowds or contents of high value to the community or pose risk to people in crowds Structures with special postdisaster functions
Areas of assembly; health care facilities; emerg. facilities not designated as postdisaster Essential facilities with post-disaster functions
Building Importance Levels Table 3.2 AS/NZS 1170 Part 0:2002
1 2 3
4
Structures presenting a low degree of hazard to life and other property Normal structures and structures not in other importance levels
<30m2; farm buildings; isolated structures Houses, office buildings, car parking buildings
Structures that as a whole may contain people in crowds or contents of high value to the community or pose risk to people in crowds Structures with special postdisaster functions
Areas of assembly; health care facilities; emerg. facilities not designated as postdisaster Essential facilities with post-disaster functions
Importance Level 4 Structures With Special Post-Disaster Functions Buildings and facilities designated as essential facilities
Utilities or emergency supplies required as backup for buildings and facilities of Importance Level 4
Designated emergency centres and Buildings and facilities with special post-disaster function ancillary facilities (emergency power, phone or radio) Medical emergency or surgical facilities
Designated emergency shelters
Emergency service facilities such as fire, police stations and emergency vehicle garages
Buildings and facilities containing hazardous materials capable of causing hazardous conditions that extend beyond the property boundaries
Concluding Observations (1) • Building a core rescue engineering capability is essential for public safety • Must be strongly linked into relevant institutions • USAR – Fire • Building Safety Evaluation – Emergency Management and Building Control
• Broader objective: seek to embed professional engineering within emergency management arrangements
Proposed Key Elements of Post-disaster Building Evaluation Arrangements 1. Appropriate legal mandate 2. Central government agency providing a focal point, guidance and support for preparedness activities 3. Criteria and process for building re-occupancy established 4. Local authorities appropriately prepared to set up and manage a building evaluation operation 5. Appropriate numbers of trained and warranted building professionals 6. Effective mobilisation arrangements for warranted building professionals (locally and nationally)
Concluding Observations (2) • Take every opportunity to demonstrate the value of this capability • Use offshore deployments to provide assistance and build experience of individuals • So get prepared, and get involved! – Incident Management training is a good place to start
Concluding Observations (3) â&#x20AC;˘ Engineers must put appropriate emphasis on the consequences of failure â&#x20AC;˘ Maintain focus of designing resilience into key facilities and infrastructure networks
Developing a Versatile Rescue Engineering Capability And How It was Applied in the Canterbury Earthquakes Engineers Australia Workshop: Supporting Humanitarian Outcomes Sydney, 20 October 2011
Dave Brunsdon db@kestrel.co.nz
New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering