Losses due to a catastrophic earthquake

Abstract

At the request of the Earthquake and War Damage Commission, the New Zealand National Society for Earthquake Engineering has assessed the order of loss of building value in the event of a large earthquake in the Wellington region.

Two sizes of earthquake were considered of average return period 250 years and 1100 years. Each event was centred in two different locations.

The study considered only the effect of earthquakes on buildings and their contents. Government owned buildings were assessed separately. Only the value of loss up to assumed indemnity value was calculated, this being the extent of liability of the Earthquake and War Damage Commission.

For the four scenario earthquakes studied, ranges of loss were calculated.