New Zealand is subject to earthquakes of varying severity and some parts of it are seismically more active than others. In these seismically more active locations, the population’s life and health, its buildings and other built infrastructure are at considerable risk.
Seismic
The Building Act 2004 is the legislative expression of the government’s policy objective for New Zealand buildings. The legislation relating to Earthquake prone buildings seeks to reduce the level of earthquake risk to the public over time and targets the most vulnerable buildings. Strengthening buildings to improve their ability to withstand earthquake shaking is commonly undertaken and referred to as ‘seismic upgrades’.
Seismic upgrades (retro-fitting) is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. Ancor Loc provides solutions for many seismic upgrade projects. Our range of anchoring products can be adapted to suit the requirements of any seismic project. Tight access and height restrictions do not apply to Ancor Loc’s mobile drilling rigs which can complete anchoring installations in tight spaces with limited headroom.
Strengthening
In construction, underpinning is the process of strengthening and stabilising the foundation of an existing building or other structure. Underpinning may be necessary for a variety of reasons:
- The original foundation is simply not strong or stable enough.
- The usage of the structure has changed.
- The properties of the soil supporting the foundation may have changed (possibly through subsidence) or were mischaracterised during design.
Underpinning is accomplished by extending the foundation in depth or in breadth so it either rests on a more supportive soil stratum or distributes its load across a greater area. Use of micro-piles is a common method in underpinning. Ancor Loc utilises Micro-piles for many underpinning projects. Micro-piles are high capacity, small diameter (125mm to 305mm) drilled and grouted in-place piles designed with steel reinforcement to primarily resist structural loading. Micro-piles are rapidly gaining popularity for foundations in urbanised areas or in locations with low headroom and restricted access. They are an ideal choice for underpinning or emergency repairs because they can be installed in virtually any ground condition with minimal vibration and disturbance to existing structures. Ancor Loc has the equipment and knowledge to provide Micro-piles to suit your underpinning projects.