Post-quake every day New Zealanders were introduced to a number of new terms relating to engineering and ground movement.

While cracked walls, uneven floors and jammed doors and windows can all be visible signs of potential problems with foundation ground, homeowners often initially call upon trades people to help restore their home to its original condition. It is during this process of inspecting and fixing these issues that ground engineering specialist, Mainmark, may be called in.

A delicate, high-tech operation is underway, to shore-up the safety and stability of Lake Burley Griffin’s historic walls.

The Federal Government’s pumping $3 million into the project, so the structure can stand-up to the elements, for years to come.

If your home has compromised structural integrity it will likely be most evident when trying to sell – and it may fetch a significantly lower price because of it.

Speaking to West Real Estate, Mainmark Ground Engineering Head of Sales Australia and New Zealand Steve Piscetek said while Western Australia had a relatively healthy building sector, structural damage did occur for a number of reasons.

James O’Grady, Business Development Manager at Mainmark Ground Engineering offers his advice on spotting signs of subsidence and ways to minimise downtime when addressing them.

The current drought in Auckland is a far cry from its renowned rainy weather. The city endured a record-breaking 29 days of rain in August last year, preventing the ground from drying out, and now the extreme heat has caused soil to dry to an excess, resulting in ground subsidence.

There are many areas of practice for engineers and while specialisation begins at university, with students choosing the type of degree to undertake, professional direction often becomes clearer through on-the-job experience.

FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE testing and field trials, Mainmark Ground Engineering has introduced what it believes the first commercially viable, non-invasive ground improvement and liquefaction mitigation technique that can be applied beneath existing structures.

With courtesy of DEMM Magazine www.demm.co.nz.

How ground engineering can make your home earthquake ready

The devastation caused by seismic events in New Zealand over the past decade has provided greater understanding around the interaction between buildings structures and soil during an earthquake.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch in February 2011 caused tragic loss of life and immense damage to buildings, roads and infrastructure. More than 7000 homes were ‘red zoned’, meaning the ground they were built on was considered too high risk for repairing or rebuilding.

Following extensive testing and field trials, Mainmark Ground Engineering has introduced the first commercially viable, non-invasive ground improvement and liquefaction mitigation technique that can be applied beneath existing structures