Performance Based Design
(Seismic Engineering)
New Zealand

Most international seismic codes of practice focus on life safety, leading to structures that preserve life but often need significant repair or demolition following a powerful earthquake.

For example, in recent major earthquakes in Christchurch (New Zealand), Kobe (Japan) and Northridge (California), collateral losses were high.

At Miyamoto, we lead the market in performance-based design. This design strategy focuses on designing structures to perform at a specified level. An example would be a performance level set at “the structure must remain operational after a 500-year earthquake and not collapse under a 2500-year earthquake”, leading to a design that achieves this standard.

In designing buildings this way, we still prioritise life safety, but we also look after our clients’ investment. We use sophisticated analysis to understand the seismic performance of the ground, foundations and the structures involved, and use a multidisciplinary approach to produce structures that are truly earthquake-tolerant, measurably reducing risk and cost.