Seismic Retrofit Solutions NZ: Latest News
Updates - Beam-column Joint tests and L'Aquila reconstruction
6th Aug 2009
Recently, a series of pre-1970s non ductile reinforced concrete beam-column joints with cast-in-situ slab has been successfully tested. The testing programme includes benchmark as-built 2D and 3D specimens as well as retrofitted specimens. The tests have shown promising results of the selective-weakening retrofit for beam-column joint
as well as confirming the seismic vulnerability of the non-ductile pre-1970s reinforced concrete frames. Three PhD researchers at the University of Canterbury - Umut Akguzel, Kam Weng Yuen and Patricio Quintana-Gallo, under the supervision of Stefano Pampanin, are currently working on the retrofit solutions for reinforced concrete frames.
A new publication, "Identifying heritage values in URM buildings" by Cass Goodwin, Garrick Tonks and Jason Ingham is now available for download. This article is intended to assist structural engineers in recognising the important heritage aspects of NZ unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. We are still in the process of collating and uploading the complete publications and output of the project so far. Come back soon for updates. If you are keen to receive updates about the website, send the Webmaster an email.
On the related news - one of the principle investigators of the project - Stefano Pampanin is currently at the L'Aquila region in Italy- in assisting with the reconstruction and seismic retrofit projects. On the 6th April, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake has hit the region, causing over 300 deaths and approximately 65,000 homeless. Amongst other technical activities, Stefano has been involved with onsite monitoring of the intense activities to retrofit several public schools (all reinforced concrete frames with masonry infills) to be ready for the new Academic year (by mid-Sept). The retrofit solutions applied is based on the application of FRP (fiber reinforced polymers) to the vulnerable beam-column joints, very similar to the solutions investigated by Umut Akguzel at the University of Canterbury.
photo credit: Stefano Pampanin, 2009
Evidence Portfolio and Project Report are now available.
18th May 2009
Currently, the project is under going Contract Terminating Review as the project approaches its final year.Part of the process of this review, a thorough report outlining the project progress and evidence of outputs has been complied. In addition to a detailed listing of the key and current outputs in terms of research and dissemination to the public, the report also outlined the delivery of contracted milestone progress. Interested users can download the report here.
We have updated many of the research topic pages which describe in more detailed the different components of this project. As the outputs of the project become available, more information will be uploaded on this website. It is envisioned that in addition to providing an information portal for researchers, this website would provide sufficient technical guidelines and publications for practicing engineers both within New Zealand and around the world. Within the next 12 months, we will be providing with more in-depth reports / journal publications as well as some of the tools developed within the project. The post-graduate researcher profiles pages have also been recently updated here.
One of the first doctoral students of the project, Dion Marriott will be facing his oral defence within the next couple of days as mentioned in the last update. It is known that his examiner would be the reknown Prof Emeritus Nigel Priestley (of ROSE School/UC San Diego/ Canterbury) and Assoc. Prof Susumu Kono (of Kyoto University). -editor-
News Updates
3th May 2009
The publication pages have been updated, in view of the anticipated publication of technical reports and guidelines, particularly the Seismic Retrofit Handbook. Currently only the journal and conference papers publications are available for viewing. Efforts are being made to ensure all relevant papers and presentations are available for download - after clearing the necessary copyright issues.
Dion Marriott, PhD candidate at University of Canterbury has submitted his PhD thesis - a 700 plus pages of knowledge and research - cumulative of four years of hardwork. His work on the design and performance of advanced rocking walls (both for seismic retrofit and new construction) has refined and verified the NZS3101-Appendix B procedure for jointed-ductile structure. Congratulation to soon-to-be Dr Marriott.
The research topic pages are also currently under update, and user would notice many pages currently 'under construction'. This update round will be completed by June 2009. Please come by again for more research update. -editor-
NZSEE 2009 Conference, Christchurch 3-5th April 2009
10th April 2009
A total of 8 oral presentations and 7 poster papers will be presented in the 2009 annual national conference on earthquake engineering, organised by the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) , to be held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 3-5th April 2009. More information on the conference is available here. The full papers and presentations are available for download at both the publications section and at the NZSEE website.
As part of the NZSEE Conference programme, a short tour around the Structural Laboratory of University of Canterbury was organised. Approximately 50 conference attendees, which include prominent earthquake engineering pioneers - Dr Ivan Skinner and Dr Bill Robinson, came along for the brief presentation of the ongoing experimental research at Canterbury.
Introduction and People Pages Updated
21st March 2009
The Introduction and People pages have been updated. 9 new doctoral students have commenced their PhD research within the Seismic Retrofit project at the universities of Canterbury and Auckland (within 2008-09 academic year). This was in addition to the 2 masters student and 3 undergraduate students who have completed their dissertations in various seismic retrofit topics in 2008. -editor-
Website Revamped!!!
12th January 2009
The website has been recently re-organised to reflect the direction and achievements of the FRST Seismic Retrofit Solutions for NZ research project in the past 4 years. In an effort to increase the dissemination of the research result and project output, this website will be updated more regularly. Come back for more update very soon! -editor-
14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (14WCEE)
12-17th Oct 2008
Several researchers of the Seismic Retrofit Solutions for NZ team have presented their research findings at the 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (14WCEE). Final year Phd candidate, Dion Marriott summarised his recent findings on the design and seismic performance of the use of rocking walls as a retrofit solution.
Phd candidate, Kam Weng Yuen presented the preliminary analytical-experimental work on selective weakening techniques for retrofit of existing reinforced concrete structures. Pdfs of the paper and the presentation slides will be available for download shortly in the publication tabs on the left.
New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering Conference
April 2008
New Zealand practicing engineers and researchers have been updated with some preliminary research outputs of the Seismic Retrofit Solutions for NZ team. Pdfs of the paper and the presentation slides will be available for download shortly in the publication tabs on the left.
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