10 Aug 2019

Canterbury quake exhibition adds new liquefaction simulation

11:03 am on 10 August 2019

An interactive liquefaction simulation is being opened in Christchurch this weekend.

Curator Cor Vink with new liquefaction model.

Curator Cor Vink with the new liquefaction model. Photo: Supplied / Canterbury Museum

Visitors will be able to see it for free this weekend at Quake City on Durham Street North, which is the special exhibition opened by Canterbury Museum in 2013.

The liquefaction model features a large, moving bed of sand, with blocks representing buildings that sink and lighter plastic balls that rise to the surface as buried infrastructure can do.

The model, supported by Tonkin + Taylor, will be displayed alongside other Quake City exhibits like a bike-powered video and Lego sets where visitors can design earthquake-resistant buildings.

The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has sponsored the free-entry weekend and Canterbury Museum Director Anthony Wright is hoping locals will take advantage of the opportunity.

"Many visitors to Quake City are from overseas, but free weekends like this one are a chance for locals to see how we're presenting our experiences to people from other places," he said.

Quake City also held a free weekend last year and it attracted 1850 people.

More than 250,000 people have been through it since it opened.

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