Reducing earthquake damage to timber buildings

A BRANZ survey of more than 100 light-timber-framed (LTF) homes affected by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake found that those with regular structures suffered less damage than those with structural irregularities. This project identified the types of structural irregularities that are likely to perform well in an earthquake and those that are likely to lead to significant damage.
Lead organisation
BRANZ Limited
Focus area
Resilience
Start date
Status
Complete
Last updated 23 Apr 2026
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SR404 Seismic effects of structural irregularity of light timber-framed buildings research report SR404 Seismic effects of structural irregularity of light timber-framed buildings pdf / 4.1 MB download

About this programme

A BRANZ survey of more than 100 light-timber-framed (LTF) homes affected by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake found that those with regular structures suffered less damage than those with structural irregularities. This project identified the types of structural irregularities that are likely to perform well in an earthquake and those that are likely to lead to significant damage. This research provided new insights to better inform the design community.