University of Auckland Centre for Earthquake Engineering Research (UACEER)

The University of Auckland Centre for Earthquake Engineering Research (UACEER) was established in 2007 and acts as a research centre within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Auckland. The purpose of this centre is to facilitate the coordination of earthquake engineering research projects within the department through a combination of both the structural and geotechnical research groups.

New Zealand is located in a seismically active area and has historically been an international leader in earthquake engineering research, with the genesis of this expertise deriving from the scrutiny of building practices that followed the devastating 1931 Napier Earthquake. Within the two disciplines of structural engineering and geotechnical engineering at the University of Auckland, the large majority of research conducted is associated with seismic analysis and design for mitigation of the natural physical hazard posed by earthquakes. More recently the global trend toward large scale research projects has resulted in the differentiation between structural and geotechnical engineering becoming blurred with many projects focusing on structure-foundation interaction. It is for this reason that the formation of the UACEER was proposed.

The main objectives of the UACEER are:

• Coordinate externally funded earthquake engineering research projects within the University of Auckland.
• Provide a focal point for international collaborations and large-scale international earthquake engineering research, particularly through the recently established NZNEES@Auckland program.
• Improve the quality of the earthquake engineering research at the University of Auckland.