An engineer on the ground in Christchurch says that New Zealand�s seismic retrofit code and/or construction methods should be strengthened based on the damage to recently upgraded buildings. Photo: AP Photo/Kyodo News, Shuzo Shikano Rescuers stand atop a collapsed structure in Christchurch. Related Links: Engineers Surprised By Damage to Newer Structures The New Zealand Building Code Eyewitness Account of New Zealand Earthquake Many other Christchurch buildings, damaged in many cases as a result of soil liquefaction, were rendered uninhabitable and also still pose a public threat because they might collapse, says the engineer, Amir Gilani. Several recently seismically retrofitted buildings
The New Zealand earthquake surprised engineers by triggering severe damage or collapse of some recently constructed buildings. Photo: AP Photo/Kyodo News, Shuzo Shikano Rescue workers search for victims buried under the rubble near the Canterbury Television building in Christchurch, New Zealand, Wednesday night, Feb. 23, 2011. The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck 10 km from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on Feb. 22 brought down or severely damaged some contemporary structures because the quake was extremely shallow—centered only 5 km below the surface. “New Zealand has very good loading standards and a strict regulatory environment and since the mid-70s onwards,
Photo: Courtesy of AP Images The magnitude-6.3 quake that hit Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand on Feb. 22 caused more damage than the magnitude-7.1 quake in the same region in September because the more recent temblor was only five kilometers deep and only about 10 km from the city center. Damage to historic structures, especially Christchurch Cathedral, was significant; however, even modern buildings—including the Pyne Gould Guiness Building —collapsed, for a total of about 12. Soil liquefaction caused mudflows that damaged roads and houses. Reports say the quake is not connected to the same fault line as
The long-awaited report from the chief investigator for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore, released Feb. 17, provides damning evidence that preventable engineering and management mistakes—rather than mechanical failings—were the primary cause of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion last spring. Related Links: Full report The National Commission released its final report to the president on January 11. In that report, the panel concluded that human error, rather than mechanical failings, was the root cause of the explosion. The new report from chief investigator Fred Bartlit’s team, which looked in detail at the well blowout
The results of recent field trials of rechargeable community solar lighting kits for isolated villages now are being analyzed to help researchers in New York City turn their inventions into a sustainable business plan. Photo: Courtesy of the SociaLite Project Charging station does 13 LED lamps at once. The lighting kits contain the electronics to build 80 lanterns, but the rest of the materials are locally sourced. Lamp bases are made from used cans, gourds or sections of bamboo. Translucent plastic juice bottles provide the diffusers. “This is changing people’s lives,” says Toby Cumberbatch, a professor at the Cooper Union
For the first time in more than a half- century, crews on various projects are using a larger, stronger iteration of steel H-shaped piles recently approved by industry groups. The piles, typically used to construct deep foundations for buildings and bridges, also can save money on column applications, according to contractors and engineers. Photo: Frank Coluccio Construction New breed of H-pile braces excavation shaft on Hawaii sewer job. For years, H-pile cross sections have measured as large as 14 in. The new piles, designated HP16 and HP18, “go up to 18-inch cross sections, so now you’ve got bigger loads you
Flooding in the state of Queensland, Australia, that began in late December has killed at least 22 people, left thousands homeless, destroyed countless buildings and devastated highways and rail lines. Overall, the flooding has affected 70% of Queensland, an area the size of France and Germany combined. Photo: AP/Wideworld Flooding that began in late December has affected 70% of the northeastern state of Queensland. As of early February, residents were bracing for more coastal flooding, which was expected to accompany Cyclone Yasi, a Category 4 tropical storm that was forecast to hit the northern coast on Feb. 3. Queensland has
Calgary, Alberta-based TransCanada said on Jan. 26 that it has contracted with enough companies to proceed with the 1,980-mile Keystone XL pipeline. It would be the first to transport crude oil from Canada’s oil-sands region to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The proposed $12-billion, 36-in.-dia pipeline could move up to 150,000 barrels of oil per day. Together with the existing Keystone pipeline, the two lines would move up to 250,000 bbl daily. The project, which is contingent on U.S. State Dept. approval, is opposed by several environmental and local groups. The American Petroleum Institute says the pipeline is “a
Just as much of the country is deeply divided over political issues, a chasm is emerging between supporters of the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas regulations and an array of opponents. Photo: Courtsey Of Fluor Corp. Wet flue gas desulfurization handles sulfur dioxide, but regulations for greenhouse gas emissions would likely require another level of technology development. Photo: Courtsey Of The Shaw Group Scrubber technology may help prolong life for besieged coal-burning plants. Critics say the regulations are an example of overreach by the federal agency, which will both cost jobs and stall major construction projects. Many utilities in the
Pursuing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill case will be the leading 2011 enforcement priority for the Dept. of Justice's environmental division, says Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno, the unit's chief. Photo: U.S. Dept. of Justice Moreno, shown here with Attorney General Eric Holder, will focus heavily on Gulf oil spill Moreno, who heads the environment and natural resources division, said in a Jan. 13 speech that other construction-related areas of emphasis will include cases involving municipal sewage-treatment problems and defending against challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency's new greenhouse-gas regulations. Moreno told a District of Columbia Bar Association
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