Abstract:
The changing nature of New Zealand masonry construction practice is reviewed, with emphasis placed on the role that observed damage from the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake had on subsequent construction practices. Early practice was to use solid clay brick unreinforced masonry construction, which resembled construction practices of the time from many other countries. Following 1931 the use of unreinforced masonry rapidly declined, and was eventually prohibited in 1965. Since that time clay brick masonry has generally been used as a veneer on timber framed domestic construction, utilising its durability and architectural characteristics. Concrete masonry construction has largely been modelled on reinforced concrete practices, with recent innovations being the use of post-tensioning and mortarless construction. Currently research effort is being committed to developing seismic retrofit solutions for existing unreinforced masonry buildings, with many being formally classified as New Zealand heritage buildings.