Search

found 70 results

Images, eqnz.chch.2010

On a walk around the neighbourhood, December 3, 2013, Christchurch New Zealand. www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/christchurch-life/avenues/featu...

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

Deconstruction, at the end of the useful life of a building, produces a considerable amount of materials which must be disposed of, or be recycled / reused. At present, in New Zealand, most timber construction and demolition (C&D) material, particularly treated timber, is simply waste and is placed in landfills. For both technical and economic reasons (and despite the increasing cost of landfills), this position is unlikely to change in the next 10 – 15 years unless legislation dictates otherwise. Careful deconstruction, as opposed to demolition, can provide some timber materials which can be immediately re-used (eg. doors and windows), or further processed into other components (eg. beams or walls) or recycled (‘cascaded’) into other timber or composite products (e.g. fibre-board). This reusing / recycling of materials is being driven slowly in NZ by legislation, the ‘greening’ of the construction industry and public pressure. However, the recovery of useful material can be expensive and uneconomic (as opposed to land-filling). In NZ, there are few facilities which are able to sort and separate timber materials from other waste, although the soon-to-be commissioned Burwood Resource Recovery Park in Christchurch will attempt to deal with significant quantities of demolition waste from the recent earthquakes. The success (or otherwise) of this operation should provide good information as to how future C&D waste will be managed in NZ. In NZ, there are only a few, small scale facilities which are able to burn waste wood for energy recovery (e.g. timber mills), and none are known to be able to handle large quantities of treated timber. Such facilities, with constantly improving technology, are being commissioned in Europe (often with Government subsidies) and this indicates that similar bio-energy (co)generation will be established in NZ in the future. However, at present, the NZ Government provides little assistance to the bio-energy industry and the emergence worldwide of shale-gas reserves is likely to push the economic viability of bio-energy further into the future. The behaviour of timber materials placed in landfills is complex and poorly understood. Degrading timber in landfills has the potential to generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas, which can escape to the atmosphere and cancel out the significant benefits of carbon sequestration during tree growth. Improving security of landfills and more effective and efficient collection and utilisation of methane from landfills in NZ will significantly reduce the potential for leakage of methane to the atmosphere, acting as an offset to the continuing use of underground fossil fuels. Life cycle assessment (LCA), an increasingly important methodology for quantifying the environmental impacts of building materials (particularly energy, and global warming potential (GWP)), will soon be incorporated into the NZ Green Building Council Greenstar rating tools. Such LCA studies must provide a level playing field for all building materials and consider the whole life cycle. Whilst the end-of-life treatment of timber by LCA may establish a present-day base scenario, any analysis must also present a realistic end-of-life scenario for the future deconstruction of any 6 new building, as any building built today will be deconstructed many years in the future, when very different technologies will be available to deal with construction waste. At present, LCA practitioners in NZ and Australia place much value on a single research document on the degradation of timber in landfills (Ximenes et al., 2008). This leads to an end-of-life base scenario for timber which many in the industry consider to be an overestimation of the potential negative effects of methane generation. In Europe, the base scenario for wood disposal is cascading timber products and then burning for energy recovery, which normally significantly reduces any negative effects of the end-of-life for timber. LCA studies in NZ should always provide a sensitivity analysis for the end-of-life of timber and strongly and confidently argue that alternative future scenarios are realistic disposal options for buildings deconstructed in the future. Data-sets for environmental impacts (such as GWP) of building materials in NZ are limited and based on few research studies. The compilation of comprehensive data-sets with country-specific information for all building materials is considered a priority, preferably accounting for end-of-life options. The NZ timber industry should continue to ‘champion’ the environmental credentials of timber, over and above those of the other major building materials (concrete and steel). End-of-life should not be considered the ‘Achilles heel’ of the timber story.

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Childhood. We all had one. Whether we remember it vaguely or with clarity, we all passed through this phase of life. As infants we shook that baby rattle with all our might or nursed that pacifier until our eyes closed … Continue reading →

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

As part of the Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive, this thesis documents the effects of the earthquakes on the musical life of Christchurch. It concentrates, primarily, on the classical music scene. The thesis examines the difficulties experienced by musical organisations, individual musicians, and teachers as they sought to bring music to the broken city, together with the measures that were necessary in order to overcome those difficulties. It examines how those organisations have worked to re-establish themselves in their particular musical fields. It charts the progress made, to date, along the path to recovery and offers suggestions regarding precautionary measures which, if instituted, could reduce the after-effects of a future disaster. Recognising that not all of the difficulties encountered were directly related to the earthquakes, this thesis also examines the effects on music and musicians, of decision making associated with the recovery effort. The thesis also demonstrates how a destructive event can provide the inspiration for creativity. It recognises the importance of music in maintaining a sense of normality for people, whether they realise it or not, as well as its influences in providing emotional relief in times of stress. Hopefully, it may become a useful guide to which other cities that may be faced with some natural disaster, could refer.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch is home to many diverse ethnic groups whose voices have sometimes gone unheard in the aftermath of the earthquakes and the city's rebuild plans. Katy Gosset visits a gathering in Christchurch's battered eastern suburbs to hear their thoughts on post-quake life and the future of their adopted home.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a bow made out of curtains pinned to Siobhan Murphy's house at 436 Oxford Terrace. In the background, the house has been covered in plastic sheeting. The photographer comments, "The bow is a memorial to Murphy's living room and her life in the house".

Images, Canterbury Museum

One model of the Temple for Christchurch with a rectangular base of Jarrah and solid silver conical shapes and wave like walls representing the movement of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Based on the Temple for Christchurch sculpture that was designed by Hippathy Valentine.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

For six weeks after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake millions of litres of raw sewage - along with lots of liquefaction - poured into the Avon and Heathcote Rivers. A team of biologists quickly got to work to measure the impact of this catastrophe on life in the Heathcote River and as they tell Alison Ballance, they were surprised by what they recorded over the next few months.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

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".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

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".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

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".

Images, Alexander Turnbull Library

Depicts National MP Aaron Gilmore walking off carrying two suitcases. A row of Christchurch insurance men are calling for him to return and saying they have the right job for his talents. Refers to Gilmore's resignation after National Party censure following to his drunken bullying behaviour to a waiter in a Hanmer Springs restaurant (3 News 13 May 2013) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Images, eqnz.chch.2010

The back of the old Odeon movie theatre, that was for about 15-20 years a New Life Christian Centre. This is earthquake damage, although the roof was lifted off in 2011. I don't know whether this is a building that they want to save or still awaiting demolition. The smaller building to the immediate left was restored a few years ago and for a...