Fibre composites ideal match for Christchurch restoration

27 October 2011

Fibre composites ideal match for Christchurch restoration

As the debate around the future of Christchurch continues, it is becoming increasingly clear that new thinking in terms of the planning, design, restoration and construction is called for to cope with the city's ongoing seismic instability.

This brings into focus the many benefits of fibre composites (fibreglass, resins and epoxy). These present almost limitless opportunities to play an increasingly significant role in building construction as the preferred alternative material to replace timber, steel and concrete.

Timaru based Aeromarine Industries Ltd, one of three South Island fibre composite manufacturers participating in the fibre composites seminar in Christchurch in November, lists six major features making composites the ideal material for restoration in the rebuilding of Christchurch.

These include their light weight and strength, especially compared to concrete, metal and wood (with a composite structure often weighing a quarter of that of a steel structure with the same strength); corrosion and chemical resistance; elasticity; non-conductivity and insulation.

Bobbie Mortensen, president of the Composites Association of New Zealand (CANZ) which is organising the seminar, says fibre composite materials give architects and planners a 'unique design freedom' both on their own and in combination with traditional construction materials.

"There are simply no other materials able to provide such wide ranging scope and opportunity as fibre composites for building earthquake resistant structures. Continuous advancement in manufacturing technologies and performance is seeing growing acceptance and preference for fibre composites and resulting in the sector steadily penetrating and conquering new markets, particularly in building construction," she says.

Mrs Mortensen says that fibre composites technologies and design solutions are well tried and tested from having been applied around the world in the rebuilding of severely earthquake damaged cities such as San Francisco, Kobe and Mexico City.

At the same time an immense store of knowledge has been garnered over the past half century from the extensive use of fibre composites to help rebuild cities and towns devastated by huge tornadoes throughout the United States' Mid west plains.

Fibre composites are also being widely used in large infrastructure projects, a prime recent example being Melbourne's West Gate Bridge expansion - the largest project of its type globally - in which 40km of carbon fibre laminates were used.

Mrs Mortensen says that because of their wide range of applications, strength, light weight and versatility, fibre composites have a significant role in the successful rebuilding and restoration of Christchurch, whatever form is eventually decided upon.

"There is little doubt that Christchurch, at least in the foreseeable future, is going to have to cope with ongoing seismic activity and must look at fibre composites for the ability it gives to construct new buildings that are lighter, more resilient and pliable, without losing any strength. A good example of this is the fibre reinforced polymer composites produced by BASF, which are thinner and lighter than steel with 10 times the tensile strength," she says.

Fibre composite facades are also ideal for the restoration of earthquake damaged heritage buildings such as the Christchurch Cathedral, the New City Hotel in Colombo Street and the Masonic Lodge in Lyttelton.

Mrs Mortensen says the composites industry is the only sector that is able to provide a solution to salvage the city's iconic facades, chimneys and the like.

"We have many wonderful examples, including the work of Feilding based Fibreglass Developments Ltd which carried out a remarkable restoration of the Wellington Town Hall. This was done producing authentic looking parapets, bolsters and column capitals out of fibre composite materials, working from original photographs.

"The seminar will have leading composites manufacturers from throughout New Zealand and Australia participating for the first time and sharing their considerable knowledge and expertise, showing just why fibre composites are the ideal material for Christchurch," she says.

The seminar will be held at the Chateau on the Park Hotel, Christchurch on Friday 4 November. Participating manufacturers include:

• SP High Modulus - Armatec Environmental
• Greentank - Fibreglass Developments
• DuPont - Maskell Productions
• Aeromarine Industries - Diab
• BASF Australia - Quake Safe
• Gracol Enterprises - Reflex Industrial Fibreglass

ENDS

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