The Government seems likely to face higher costs as it looks to strengthen the country's infrastructure in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes.
The first report into the damage done to three large buildings in the Christchurch earthquake is recommending urgent steps be taken around the country to strengthen buildings with stairwells.
A Christchurch businessman has told the Earthquake Royal Commission the city council was a nightmare to deal with when he was trying to strengthen his building before the September quake.
Text at the top of the cartoon reads 'NZ city strengthening?' A whole city enclosed in a glass dome and balanced on huge springs intended to make it earthquake resistant rocks as another aftershock hits. Context - Two earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks have hit Christchurch, the first on 4 September 2010 and a second more devastating one on 22 February 2011. There has been great emphasis on making heritage buildings that are rebuilt and all new buildings earthquake resistant. The example in the cartoon is perhaps a Springs-with-damper base isolator. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A video about field trials conducted by the Department of Building and Housing at Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch. Fifty kilograms of explosives are being used to simulate a magnitude-4 earthquake at a distance of 10 kilometres. The aim of the trials is to test soil-strengthening techniques that could be used to repair damaged land in Christchurch.
Damage to a brick building. Earthquake-strengthening ties have prevented the gable end from collapsing, but large cracks are still visible.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
A earthquake simulation structure built at the College of Engineering, it is designed to demonstrate a retrofit of seismic strengthening to a structure.
The Christchurch City Council has faced tough questioning at the Royal Commission into the Canterbury earthquakes over its role in ensuring buildings are earthquake strengthened.
A house perched on the edge of the cliff above Sumner. Below, large bolts have been inserted into the cliff face above a cave entrance to strengthen it.
The Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes continues today, with overseas experts critiquing a New Zealand report that calls for a two-billion dollar upgrade to strengthen earthquake-prone buildings.
An as-built reinforced concrete (RC) frame building designed and constructed according to pre-1970s code design construction practice has been recently tested on the shake table at the University of Canterbury. The specimen, 1/2.5 scaled version of the original prototype, consists of two 3-storey 2-bay asymmetric frames in parallel, one interior and one exterior, jointed together by transverse beams and floor slabs. Following the benchmark test, a retrofit intervention has been proposed to rehabilitate the tested specimen. In this paper, detailed information on the assessment and design of the seismic retrofit procedure using GFRP (glass fibre reinforced polymer) materials is given for the whole frame. Hierarchy of strength and sequence of events (damage mechanisms) in the panel zone region are evaluated using a moment-axial load (M-N) interaction performance domain, according to a performance-based retrofit philosophy. Specific limit states or design objectives are targeted with attention given to both strength and deformation limits. In addition, an innovative retrofit solution using FRP anchor dowels for the corner beam-column joints with slabs is proposed. Finally, in order to provide a practical tool for engineering practice, the retrofit procedure is provided in a step-by step flowchart fashion.
The brick chimney section of a house on Avonside Drive. Cracks can be seen between the bricks and the whole chimney has moved away from the rest of the house. It has been strengthened with timber bracing.
A man struggles to hold upright a rigid and obstinate man who is shaking like an earthquake. The man pushing says 'That's NOT what we meant by quake strengthening Aaron!' Context: Aaron Gilmore is a councillor, a new councillor, and has been bucking the trend when it comes to voting for the CEO Tony Marryatt who is tied up with CERA, the canterbury earthquake authority, by publicly making his personal views known to the public on radio etc before the voting has been cast. Councillors are meant to present an unbiased facade when it comes to voting. Gilmore was talking to the media and in obvious support of Marryatt....the result being that there was pressure on Gilmore to abstain from voting and stand down from the process. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
More pressure on interested bidders in the Pike River mine to recover the bodies, from both the government and unions. The government's new plan to strengthen infrastructure after the Canterbury earthquakes, it's already criticised for not going far enough and the AA again attacks petrol companies for not cutting prices, despite falling oil prices.
The upper section of the Durham Street Methodist Church. Scaffolding has been constructed to allow workers from the South Island Organ Company to retrieve the church's valuable and historic organ. The windows at the far end have been weather proofed with plywood and strengthened with timber bracing.
One portrait colour digital photograph taken on 19 November 2011 showing the framework of the Lyttelton Coffee Company Building surrounded by safety fencing. On the fencing are election hoardings and an advertisement for Samo, the café established by employees of the Lyttelton Coffee Company. Prior earthquake strengthening enabled the Lyttelton...
Sadly the days are numbered after the 6.3 quake that hit Christchurch 22 February 2011! You can see the blue streel strengthening on the tower from the earthquake on 4 September 2010. Also if you look closely you can see the cracks that have determained its fate! Press L.