A magnitude 4 earthquake has been simulated at the QE2 sports complex in Christchurch in order to test different building foundations.
The Government has announced new standards for foundations in areas prone to liquefaction.
The Department of Building and Housing tested four different options on Tuesday to see how they performed in an earthquake.
It says some liquefaction was produced in the stadium grounds but it's to soon to say if the trial has been a success.
Geotechnical engineers will now excavate the different foundations to see how they performed in the quake.
The mock quake explosion angered some local residents who say they've had enough of earthquakes.
One, Darren Stephenson, says locals have been terrified by the ongoing aftershocks and he was concerned to hear of the planned simulation.
He says it was ultimately no noisier than a fireworks display, although he's relieved it's over.
Other locals have said the testing should be done somewhere else in the country, such as the West Coast.
Building and Housing says QE2 was chosen because it is secure, far enough from houses and had suffered liquefaction in previous real quakes.
It says it hasn't ruled out further trials at the complex but will ensure any testing is safe.
