The connections between walls of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings and flexible timber diaphragms are critical building components that must perform adequately before desirable earthquake response of URM buildings may be achieved. Field observations made during the initial reconnaissance and the subsequent damage surveys of clay brick URM buildings following the 2010/2011 Canterbury, New Zealand earthquakes revealed numerous cases where anchor connections joining masonry walls or parapets with roof or floor diaphragms appeared to have failed prematurely. These observations were more frequent for the case of adhesive anchor connections than for the case of through-bolt connections (i.e. anchorages having plates on the exterior façade of the masonry walls). Subsequently, an in-field test program was undertaken in an attempt to evaluate the performance of adhesive anchor connections between unreinforced clay brick URM walls and roof or floor diaphragm. The study consisted of a total of almost 400 anchor tests conducted in eleven existing URM buildings located in Christchurch, Whanganui and Auckland. Specific objectives of the study included the identification of failure modes of adhesive anchors in existing URM walls and the influence of the following variables on anchor load-displacement response: adhesive type, strength of the masonry materials (brick and mortar), anchor embedment depth, anchor rod diameter, overburden level, anchor rod type, quality of installation and the use of metal foil sleeve. In addition, the comparative performance of bent anchors (installed at an angle of minimum 22.5o to the perpendicular projection from the wall surface) and anchors positioned horizontally was investigated. Observations on the performance of wall-to-diaphragm connections in the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes and a snapshot of the performed experimental program and the test results are presented herein. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/21050
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 25 March 2013 entitled, "Meting out the Marmite".
Page 2 of an advertising lift-out in the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 14 September 2013.
Page 1 of an advertising lift-out in the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 14 September 2013.
Page 1 of an advertising lift-out in the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 17 August 2013.
Page 2 of an advertising lift-out in the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 17 August 2013.
The Christchurch City Council and the Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, have hammered out a compromise deal over setting the council's long term spending priorities.
A PDF copy of pages 338-339 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Inside Out Project With Central New Brighton School'. Photos: Denise Mill
We're broadcasting today from Christchurch on the second anniversary of the six point three magnitude earthquake which devastated this city. One hundred and eighty five died in the quake and today at midday a memorial service will be held in Latimer Square. After two years, the pace of the rebuild is growing, but for some, so is frustration. More than seven thousand property owners in the residential red zone received a buyout offer from the government. Most of those have taken it - but there are a few who haven't.
The Forsyth Barr building stands alone, the buildings around it demolished. The photographer comments, "High-rise buildings look totally out of proportion when there's nothing around them to give them context. The jutting out part of this one makes it look unbalanced".
A PDF copy of pages 218-219 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Out of the Box'. Photos provided by Karen Sheridan
A pdf copy of a post from the One Voice Te Reo Kotahi blog. The post is titled, "We just sent out an email to NGOs on our register".
Two surveyors carry out work on Colombo Street.
The Mack tractor unit with "half a house" ready to depart in the middle of the night, when the roads are quiet. But where is this house heading too?
Repairs are being carried out on the Avondale Road bridge.
Tape woven into the mesh of the cordon fence on Madras Street spells out 'Hapori'.
Weeds grow out of the footpath on Cashel Street. Looking west through the cordon fence.
A photograph looking out of the window of Underground Cafe on Tuam Street.
Fabric woven into the fence of St Paul's Trinity Pacific Church spells out "Faith Hope Love".
A photograph looking out of the window of Underground Cafe on Tuam Street.
19 Velsheda Street, Pacific Park, Bexley is about to be trucked out.
A photograph of Siobhan Murphy's house at 436 Oxford Terrace. The front walls has been covered with plastic sheeting. A bow made out of curtains has been pinned to the plastic where the fireplace juts out from the wall. The photographer comments, "The bow is a memorial to Murphy's living room and her life in the house".
A photograph of Siobhan Murphy's house at 436 Oxford Terrace. The front walls has been covered with plastic sheeting. A bow made out of curtains has been pinned to the plastic where the fireplace juts out from the wall. The photographer comments, "The bow is a memorial to Murphy's living room and her life in the house".
A truck that simulates earthquakes to test soil quality is being tried out in Christchurch today.
Caleb Middendorf tries out the penny farthing bicycle in one of the reopened galleries of the Canterbury Museum.
Tape woven into the mesh of the cordon fence on Madras Street spells out "Hapori".
Seen through the cordon fence, a wine bottle still sits on a table in the emptied-out Scorpio Books.
A photograph of Siobhan Murphy outside her house at 436 Oxford Terrace. The front walls of the house have been covered with plastic sheeting. A bow made out of curtains has been pinned to the plastic where the fireplace juts out of the closest wall. The photographer comments, "The bow is a memorial to Murphy's living room and her life in the house".
Earthquake damaged Christchurch homes written off by insurance companies are becoming hot property for investors wanting to make money renting them out.
Look! Kirsa found a message in a bottle under a house. Here’s how we got the message out.       Katharine Watson