Monday, November 22, 2010

Kaiapoi 2 months post Darfield Quake

12.11.10. Kaiapoi focus. Two months post 4 September, M7.1 Darfield Quake, I drove with Leah to Kaiapoi, about 20km N of our Burnside home, to snap quake damages, repairs. Soon post quake, Kaiapoi mayor complained that too many rubberneckers were visiting Kaiapoi. Thus Kaiapoi was cordoned for a while. Those complaints lost goodwill from those who could've helped, by increasing business custom & providing new business ideas for quake damaged areas. Kaiapoi news: People glared at strangers, sobbed with self pity, slagged off "tourists," moaned about sharing portaloos with neighbours, while awaiting Nanny State largesse from EQC & insurers.

Two months post quake, Kaiapoi workmen had done many road repairs, some streets more zebra-striped with new tarseal than pedestrian crossings. Streets still had portaloos. Summer grass grew in quake cracks, liquefaction silt, new soil.

Downriver, huge quake cracks still broke up Raven Quay road beside Kaiapoi River, but CBD side of Raven Quay was graded with new soil, so a new public footpath could be made on top of the stopbank, replacing the quake damaged footpath.

Courtenay Dr: Near Kaiapoi River, Courtenay Stream, Courtenay Lake, was badly damaged by liquefaction. New tarseal in big patches. Driveways, curbs, drains cracked. Several ghost houses, plastic tape cordoned. Green portaloos roadside. Tilted lamp posts.

Anti rubbernecker threat sign, middle of Courtenay Dr:

    RESIDENTS AND
ESSENTIAL SERVICE
        VEHICLES
            ONLY


12.11.10. Blue portaloo, road sign discouraging weekend rubberneckers, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake tilted lamp post, Courtenay Dr / Charters St, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. NCF Reserve sign, liquefaction damaged Courtenay Dr cnr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Liquefaction damaged, concrete driveway & road, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Liquefaction damaged, iron drain, orange, plastic, road cone cordoned, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Liquefaction damaged drain, orange, plastic, road cone cordoned, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Liquefaction cracked, concrete driveway & repaired road, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. DANGER RAW SEWAGE KEEP OUT! NCF Reserve, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Grey liquefaction silt, NCF Reserve, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake crack near Courtenay Lake, NCF Reserve, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Grey liquefaction silt, NCF Reserve, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Grass growing over grey liquefaction silt, NCF Reserve, Kaiapoi

Two months post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, quakemire was still seen at NCF Reserve. Grass overgrew the liquefaction silt. NCF Reserve, threat sign:

WAIMAKARIRI
DISTRICT COUNCIL

DANGER RAW SEWAGE
KEEP OUT!

The stopbank over Courtenay Stream was being repaired, but there many deep quake cracks on the asphalt footpath beside Styx River. The cracks were due to lateral spreading on Kaiapoi River bank.


12.11.10. Repair to quake damaged, stopbank road over Courtenay Stream, Raven Quay, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake cracked road, Raven Quay, Kaiapoi. Cracks went for several 100 metres towards Kaiapoi CBD


12.11.10. Quake cracked road, Raven Quay, Kaiapoi. Road slumped towards Kaiapoi River, due to lateral spreading


12.11.10. Quake cracked road slumping towards Kaiapoi River, Raven Quay, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Workman, quake cracks, Raven Quay, Kaiapoi River


12.11.10. Liquefaction damaged roadside, concrete driveway, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake damaged house, Courtenay Dr / Reay Pl, Kaiapoi

Kaiapoi houses showed typical quake trashing: loose chimneys, loose roof tiles, tilted houses sinking into quakemire, cracked house walls, either vertical cracks, or zigzag cracks, particularly top & bottom cnrs, due to shaking, twisting. Garden walls tilted. Garages tilted, doors wrenched at odd angles from garage walls. House doors were separated from door jambs at odd angles. Some houses were yellow stickered. Others were cordoned with orange or white, plastic DANGER tape.

Kaiapoi roads were cracked, buckled. Concrete curbs were spalled, snapped. Driveway concrete was cracked, huge slabs of concrete displaced several centimetres apart. Lamp posts & power poles tilted at odd angles. Heavy steel drain grilles were displaced at odd angles.


12.11.10. Quake damaged roof, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake cracked, brick house wall, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake split, house walls, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake tilted, brick gate post & brick house columns, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Yellow stickered door, yellow, plastic, tape cordoned, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10 Quake damaged roof above front door, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake tilted garage, yellow, plastic, tape cordoned, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi. 13.09.17. USA design engineer, Spencer Straub would publish this garage pic & 2 associated garage pics in a 2017 presentation for post earthquake building evaluations

Courtenay Dr / Reay Pl: I would give permission for USA engineer, Spencer Straub to publish a quake tilted, brick garage snap & 2 associated garage snaps in his 2017 Presentation for Earthquake Building Evaluations.


12.11.10. Quake tilted, brick garage wall, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake tilted, brick garden wall post, orange, plastic, tape cordoned, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake tilted, brick garden wall, orange, plastic, tape cordoned, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake snapped, concrete curb, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Liquefaction damaged doorway, garages, white, plastic, tape cordoned, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Yellow stickered, quake damaged doorway, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake twisted, brick house wall, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake cracked, brick house wall, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake split, brick house walls, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake cracked, brick house cnr, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake damaged, brick house doorway, garage, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Yellow stickered, quake damaged, house doorway, garage, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake cracked, concrete driveway, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Yellow stickered, quake damaged house, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi

Courtenay Dr: House door, threat sign:

                                      WARNING!
                              DANGEROUS AREA
                     NO UNAUTHORISED PERSONS
                   PERMITTED TO ENTER THIS SITE
              ALL PERSONS ENTERING THIS SITE MUST:
1. COMPLY WITH THE HEALTH & SAFETY ACT 1992
2. REPORT TO THE SITE FOREMAN ON ARRIVAL
3. WEAR APPROPRIATE SAFETY CLOTHES & EQUIPMENT

Over the next few years, while post quake rebuild progressed, we would see many Demolition & Construction WARNING signs. Demolition gangs & Construction gangs would soon sport EXTREME DANGER threat signs.


12.11.10. WARNING DANGEROUS AREA threat sign, quake damaged, house door, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake split, house cnr walls, Courtenay Dr, Kaiapoi

Raven Quay, nearer town, was being regraded by earthmoving machines, preparing for a new tarsealed footpath on top. Seen from Raven Quay: I would give permission to Deb Donnell to publish my snap of quake tilted Kaiapoi Visitors Centre by MV Tuhoe sailing ship moored in Kaiapoi River, in her 2015 book, Christchurch, Keswin Publishing Ltd. Although Deb paid me a small amount for use of my snap in her first edition, she would continue to publish my snap in future editions without my permission! Her quake picture books could be seen in local public libraries.


12.11.10. Post quake, earth moving vehicles, Raven Quay, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Walking newly graded stopbank, before rebuild of tarsealed footpath, quake damaged Raven Quay, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake damaged Raven Quay view, Kaiapoi River, quake tilted Kaiapoi Visitors Centre


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Coastguard bldg & MV Tuhoe ship, Kaiapoi River, seen from Raven Quay. Deb Donnell would publish this pic in her 2015 book, Christchurch, Keswin Publishing, Ltd


12.11.10. Quake tilted Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Kaiapoi River, seen from Raven Quay

Raven Quay, Waimakariri District Council sign:

REBUILDING THE STREETS OF KAIAPOI

The Waimakariri District Council is now moving from a response mode to a recovery mode. An Infrastructure Recovery Unit has been established to manage the recovery. Recovery areas are shown below. [Kaiapoi map - Kaiapoi W, Town Centre, Kaiapoi E, Kaiapoi S].

The unit is made up of teams that are working on the recovery of water and sewer services and also your streets.

THE STREETSCAPE TEAM

Their Task

Rebuild your damaged streets as soon as possible! These include older areas of Kaiapoi (East and West) and Pines Beach / Kairaki.

Your Thoughts

The Streetscape Team wants to hear your views and discuss ideas before any plans are prepared. The team is inviting you to a series of Street Ideas BBQs and Town Centre Project Open Days. Any street issues or design ideas for the more modern area of Kaiapoi South can be discussed with the Streetscape Team at any of these events.

Stay Updated

Visit www... to submit your details and receive regular updates via email on what's happening in your area...

Little did we know about future quake damages. And CERA hadn't been invented yet...


12.11.10. REBUILDING THE STREETS OF KAIAPOI sign, post quake Raven Quay, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Orange / white, plastic bollard cordon. Quake trashed, Blackwell's Department Store, Williams St, Kaiapoi. Blackwell's would be rebuilt

Williams St: 2 storey, Blackwell's Department store trashed; white / orange, plastic bollard cordoned; part of S side roof & brick parapet partly ripped off, exposing trusses & ruined offices; brick, side wall collapsed, exposing top floor offices; ground floor windows boarded; orange, plastic, road cones guiding traffic. Blackwell's would be rebuilt.


12.11.10. White / orange, plastic bollard cordon. Quake trashed Blackwell's, Williams St, Kaiapoi. Blackwell's would be rebuilt


12.11.10. Williams St view, quake damaged Blackwell's, Kaiapoi. Blackwell's would be rebuilt


12.11.10. Williams St view, quake damaged Blackwell's, Kaiapoi. Blackwell's would be rebuilt


12.11.10. Williams St Bridge view, quake damaged, Mandeville Bridge, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired

Mandeville Bridge, pedestrian suspension bridge over Kaiapoi River: Quake buckled, steel mesh fence cordoned, both river banks. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired.


12.11.10. KAIAPOI LOOKING FORWARD sign, Williams St, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake damaged, Mandeville Bridge, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Quake buckled, Mandeville Bridge, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Quake damaged, Mandeville Bridge over Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Quake buckled, Mandeville Bridge over Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Quake buckled, Mandeville Bridge over Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Steel mesh fence cordon stopping use of quake damaged, Mandeville Bridge, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Mandeville Bridge sign, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Raven Quay view, quake damaged, Mandeville Bridge, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Quake buckled, Mandeville Bridge, Kaiapoi River. Mandeville Bridge would be repaired


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre. Concrete secured cables & new concrete foundation stopped the bldg sliding further into Kaiapoi River. Kaiapoi Visitors Centre would be relocated 100m upriver behind the stopbank, revamped as Paris for the Weekend cafe, estd 2016

Charles St, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre: Old, wooden, railway station, true left bank, Kaiapoi River, quake tilted S, bldg secured by new, steel cables & new concrete piles on the W side of the bldg. A new concrete foundation on the S side, dated 11.9.10, stopped further slipping of the bldg S into Kaiapoi River. On the N side, a deep crack, about 1 foot wide, where the bldg had pulled away from the old railway platform. The crack was wide enough for Leah to sit & put her legs in the crack. Roof damage above railway platform.

Kaiapoi Visitors Centre door, faded red sticker, 05.09.10:

                                                              UNSAFE
                                            DO NOT ENTER OR OCCUPY
                           THIS PLACARD IS NOT A DEMOLITION ORDER

WARNING

This building has been seriously damaged and is unsafe. Do not enter. Entry may result in death or injury. The damage observed from external inspection is described below:

"Building on a lean has moved southwards."

Entry only with specific authorisation from Territorial Authority acting under the authority of the Civil Defence Emergency Controller...

I'd already seen many red stickers on Christchurch bldgs. Confusing, as they just showed quick external inspections, were too small to read at a distance & were often ignored by rubberneckers.

Charles St, Kaiapoi Coastguard: Next to Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, bldg also tilted. Concrete paving beside Kaiapoi Coastguard was cracked. NW cnr, a deep sinkhole, with conked in concrete paving. Further along Charles St, a yellow pump pumped sludge into Kaiapoi River. Roadside portaloos & pumps meant sewage pipes were stuffed by the quake. Nearby lamp posts & flag pole tilted. Roadside, concrete curbs, snapped, buckled, several places.


12.11.10. Quake tilted window, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Kaiapoi River


12.11.10. Post quake, concrete foundation, 11.09.10, stopping Kaiapoi Visitors Centre sliding further S into Kaiapoi River


12.11.10. Leg in quake cracked concrete, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Kaiapoi River. MV Tuhoe ship behind


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Kaiapoi River. Kaiapoi Visitors Centre would be relocated 100m upriver, revamped as Paris for the Weekend cafe, estd 2016


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Kaiapoi River


12.11.10. Quake cracked concrete, Kaiapoi Coastguard, Charles St.


12.11.10. Quake cracks, quake tilted, Kaiapoi Coastguard, Charles St. Quake void / sinkhole between concrete slabs & bldg


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Coastguard, Charles St. Coastguard would survive the quakes


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Charles St. Gap between concrete platform & bldg


12.11.10. Mind the gap, quake tilted Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Charles St


12.11.10. "Building on a lean and has moved southwards." Faded red sticker, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Charles St


12.11.10. Quake damaged roof, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Charles St


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Charles St


12.11.10. Quake tilted, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre view, quake tilted lamp post & flag pole, Charles St


12.11.10. Quake damaged, Tom Ayers Dr, quake tilted lamp post & Kaiapoi Visitors Centre which would be relocated 100m upriver, revamped as Paris for the Weekend cafe, estd 2016


12.11.10. Blue portaloos, quake buckled curbs & road repairs, Jones St, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Quake cracked, concrete curb, Charles St, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Charles St drain, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Repaired road, liquefaction silt, quake snapped, concrete curb, Charles St, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Liquefaction silt, quake snapped, concrete curb, yellow pump, Charles St, Kaiapoi


12.11.10. Ducks in stream by quake damaged, driveway bridge, Askeaton Dr, Kaiapoi

*Trekked Courtenay Dr, NCF Reserve, Raven Quay, Reay Pl, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre, Kaiapoi River, Williams St, Mandeville Bridge, Charles St, Tom Ayers Dr, Jones St, Askeaton Dr. 85 snaps.

Three months post Sept 4 Darfield Quake, NZ's Governor General would rubberneck Kaiapoi, Pines Beach, Kairaki Beach, reported in The Press, while EQC boasted about "225 loss adjusters and estimators plus support staff working in Canterbury over the Christmas and New Year period... Call Centres will remain staffed 24 hours a day and seven days a week right through the period. Payments and other EQC staff will be working through as well."

EQC Claims summary

"The claims we received by 6 December deadline for the 4 September earthquake was 160 641. [Different from the 190 000 figure EQC spouted to parliament questioners a week before]. This was made up of 157 071 claims for the main quake, 1 178 for the 19 October aftershock and 1 792 for the 14 November aftershock.

The two aftershocks were of a magnitude that allowed us to treat them as new events i.e. separate earthquakes. The explanation for this is quite technical. It has to do with size, intensity and depth, and a perception they are likely to generate further damage. [Gobbledegook. EQC was worried their too soon December 6 deadline couldn't accommodate aftershocks claims properly].

Since then the claim numbers for the aftershocks has grown to 2 010 and 1 879 respectively... The deadlines for lodging claims from 19 October and 14 November aftershocks are three months from those dates..."

EQC Claims settlement status

"Monday 6 Dec: Fieldwork in progress 20 724; Fieldwork complete 17 112; Claims complete 16 687; Fieldwork not started 105 292.

Friday 17 Dec: Fieldwork in progress 23 668; Fieldwork complete 19 330; Claims complete 22 666; Fieldwork not started 95 472.

Claims at 17 December
(Including aftershocks)

Christchurch 126 238
Waimakariri 11 962
Selwyn 11 792
Timaru 4 154
Ashburton 3 602
Other 3 383
Total 161 131" (The Press).

EQC's own Dec 17 fieldwork & claims figures didn't tally with their own Total: 5 out. According to EQC's fantastic figures, 3.5 months post quake, EQC had only settled 14% of claims.

EQC had dithered over claims for 3.5 months. Pity EQC didn't settle claims quickly, instead of boasting how hard staff would work over the festive season.

Facebook:

Woken up 1.34pm, Sun 14 November, big aftershock, M4.7, depth 7km, 20km W of Christchurch (GeoNet). Lying on our lounge carpet, I felt it, annoying buzzing in my hip joint. No wonder farm animals are spooked by quakes. 14 November 8.43am

@ Louise. 2 months+ the gods are crazy, hubris knocked the hell out! 14 November 9.50am

@Shiela, Janet. Pointless moving. Rest of NZ is in the same waka. A bigger aftershock M4.9, depth 9km, 7.21pm last night Sunday, 20km SW of Christchurch. 22 November 09.10am.

Coda:

Post 22.02.11 & 13.06.11 quakes, the Press 19.08.11 would report that on 18.08.11, nearly a year post Sept 4 Darfield Quake, CERA zoning: "940 orange zone homes in the district including 840 in Kaiapoi and 80 in Pines Beach are placed into the red zone, with another 220 reclassified green."

CERA's red zone homes were on quake damaged ground too expensive to repair. Home owners would have to evacuate their homes, negotiating with NZ National govt & / or insurers for compensation. Kaiapoi red zone would incl long lengths of Courtenay Dr & Charles St.

The Press would quote Earthquake Recovery minister Brownlee: "The overall drop for the area is round about the height of an A4 piece of paper."

Sept 2015. MV Tuhoe would run aground on the Waimakariri River mouth bar after repairs at Lyttelton. MV Tuhoe would be broken up for salvage.

Sept 2019. A day in Kaiapoi: CERA's red zoned land along Courtenay Dr & opp Chales St was demolition land, houses gone, land grassed, trees, shrubs remained, park effect, wire fenced. LINZ fence signs:

NO UNAUTHORISED
          ACCESS
     NO DUMPING

Charles St: The old station, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre had been relocated about 100m upriver behind the stopbank, opp New World. The old station, Kaiapoi Visitors Centre had been relocated, revamped as Paris for the Weekend cafe, estd 2016. Nearby Coastguard had survived the quakes. New sports grounds were being made in the red zone, demo area, opp Charles St. New Blackwell's did business. Repaired Mandeville Bridge was used by pedestrians. Whitebait fisherman fished by Mandeville Bridge. 

04.11.19. TVOne News: Kaiapoi River Queen would be moored where MV Tuhoe was moored in Kaiapoi River.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

2 comments:

  1. Gave permission to local author Deb Donnell to publish a Kaiapoi Visitors Centre pic in her 2015 book, Christchurch, Keswin Publishing, 2015

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gave permission to USA design engineer Spencer Straub to publish two quake damaged, garage door pics for a presentation for post earthquake building evaluations.

    ReplyDelete