Online videos aim to clarify rebuild processes

To support the Canterbury rebuild, MBIE has created and released visual step-by-step guides to packing a pile, lifting a wall plate and jacking up concrete perimeter foundations.

The animated digital clips, which can be found online at www.dbh.govt.nz/guidance-information, focus on post-earthquake repairs and are being produced by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) as part of its building guidance and support for the residential rebuild in Canterbury.

Builders repairing earthquake-damaged houses may be dealing with floor structures that have been twisted, wrenched, cracked or tilted and, during the briefings MBIE ran for builders in Canterbury, they said short, practical online video demonstrations would be a valuable tool.

The clips take about seven minutes to watch and can be paused and replayed if viewers want to focus on a particular aspect of the process.

Each clip breaks the process into simple practical steps, clearly illustrated and explained, with written reminders posted on screen. There are 3-D diagrams of key stages and a section on keeping yourself safe.

They complement other resources, including MBIE’s booklet Guide for Canterbury Builders – Below Floor Work and the guidance Repairing and rebuilding houses affected by the Canterbury earthquakes.

MBIE drew on the expertise of building practitioners who carry out foundation repairs to create the clips and selected a best-practice approach to each task.