Trust to new seismic-proofing technologies: The influential factors

Abstract

Earthquakes cause serious damages to the economy of the impacted regions. Many new methods and technologies have been introduced into the construction industry with the aim of reducing the consequences of earthquake damages and their associated repair costs. Still, the low level of trust towards these new technologies poses a significant challenge in adopting them. An enhanced understanding of the factors that affect the trust in the newly introduced the low damage seismic-proofing technologies (SPTs) can play a crucial role in designing policies to leverage their adoption. This study identifies the factors of trust in adopting an innovative low damage SPT, namely the Resilient Slip Friction Joint (RSFJ) as a representative of novel new technologies. This technology has been introduced to the New Zealand construction industry in 2016 and provides seismic energy dissipation and the ability to return the structure to the pre-earthquake position after the event in one compact package.

The data collection stage involved an online survey of three groups of respondents from the New Zealand construction industry including clients, contractors, and consultants. More than 80 responses were collected from different sectors of the industry comprising architects, structural engineers, planners, quantity surveyors and project managers. The survey questions approached the trust factors from different angles, such as organizational and project characteristics. The findings of this research can help to improve and develop a path to facilitate the uptake of new Seismic proofing technologies.