19.1 Introduction

The previous chapter discussed some of the issues of interest to construction lawyers in the Royal Commission Report on the Canterbury earthquakes. This brief chapter looks at several other aspects of the Report that may be of interest to engineers and readers with a technical bent. These further issues include some of the technical facets of the earthquakes, and earthquake loads on buildings. Also, two aspects of the engineers’ work before and after earthquakes: the assessment of existing buildings to modern standards of earthquake resistance, and safety assessment of buildings after earthquakes. These are both issues of considerable importance to the public who rely on the professionalism of engineers to ensure that infrastructure is safe.