Building finds its balance in groundbreaking earthquake test

3 June 2026

Faculty of Engineering and Design, Newmarket Innovation Precinct, Science and technology, Sustainable impact

At the University of Auckland's Structures Test Hall, engineers have carried out one of the country's most demanding full-scale earthquake tests to understand how modular timber buildings behave under real-world shaking.

The team, led by Dr Ashkan Hashemi and Professor Pierre Quenneville, along with PhD student Rajnil Lal, tested a two-storey structure made from cross-laminated timber (CLT).

CLT is becoming increasingly common in modern construction thanks to its low-carbon profile and fast assembly. But despite growing interest in timber buildings, there is limited full-scale evidence of how they perform during major earthquakes.

To address that challenge, the engineers developed a novel system that includes prefabricated building modules with a resilient seismic connection between floors and walls. The system allows the structure to move in a controlled way during an earthquake, reducing the forces that typically cause damage before returning the building to its original position.

"This has the potential to become groundbreaking research," says Dr Hashemi.

"The future of the construction industry is modular buildings, with modules fabricated off-site and assembled on-site... New Zealand's high earthquake demands have made this less feasible, but this research provides a novel solution."

The test was carried out on a two-storey timber building, with the weight of a third storey simulated on top - a set up reflecting the medium-density townhouses and apartments now common across New Zealand.

Testing took place at the University's Structures Test Hall in Newmarket, one of the few facilities capable of shaking a full-size building using realistic earthquake motions.

Over several weeks, the team ran the structure through simulations based on real earthquake records, including both horizontal shaking and twisting motions to capture the complex forces buildings experience during major seismic events.

The building remained stable throughout the tests, with no damage found in the main timber elements.

About 60 industry professionals attended an open day to watch the system in action.

Many attendees were struck by the building's low damage performance and the fact it withstood 100 strong shakes without structural harm.

"They were surprised because they're not used to seeing a building sustain even one major earthquake, let alone a hundred," says Dr Hashemi.

The technology could support modular housing, mid-rise commercial buildings, schools, healthcare facilities and rapid-build projects in the future, all while reducing carbon and construction waste, he says.

"This test proves that sustainable, fast-to-build timber structures can stand up to major earthquakes, and signals more seismically resilient construction is ahead."

The research was supported by the Wood Industry Development and Education (WIDE) Trust and Te Hiranga Rū QuakeCoRE, along with sponsors from the timber construction sector. WIDE Trust funds a range of timber design, architecture and sustainable forestry projects at the University of Auckland.

Media contact:

Media adviser | Jogai Bhatt
M: 027 285 9464
E: [email protected]

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