Christchurch Town Hall: Foundation Stabilisation Using Jet Grouting Technique

Mathias Delapille

Abstract

Following damage caused by the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, the NZ$127.5million Christchurch Town Hall Restoration project is due for completion in 2018. The building is undergoing extensive repairs and a strengthening regime to meet New Zealand’s New Building Standard. One major aspect of the project is the stabilisation of the soil directly beneath the building using interconnected jet-grout columns installed in cell configuration, the purpose of this being to decrease the likelihood and severity of foundation movements caused by earthquake-induced soil liquefaction and lateral spreading. This presentation provides an overview of the technical and practical aspects of the project and also looks at a number of the challenges encountered in regard to the installation of effective and consistent ground treatment by jet grouting.

About Mathias Delapille

Mathias Delapille has a BE (Construction Management) and an ME (Civil Engineering) from the Ei.CESI Engineering School in France.

Mathias is a very skilled Project Engineer with 10 years of project management experience in geotechnical engineering, specialising in ground improvement works for a wide range of residential, commercial and infrastructure developments across France, Australia and worldwide. Mathias just returned from New Zealand where he spent the last 3 years working on various project such as the new Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway or more recently the Christchurch Town Hall conservation project.

Venue location

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