The Church Property Trustees of the Diocese of Christchurch are upgrading the placement of movement markers on the exterior walls of ChristChurch Cathedral to monitor the ongoing movement from aftershocks.
The markers, already used at the site, and often known as ‘tell tales,’ are placed at key points on the walls and show the movement in the structure. As a measuring tool they are vital when making informed decisions about the building.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake on February 14th 2016, and the following aftershocks have continued to broaden cracks in the building. The markers are the way engineers measure changes in the structural integrity. The new movement markers will be replaced by hand. The workers will be in a cage hoisted up by crane to the necessary height alongside the external walls.
Bishop Victoria Matthews says while no one can be sure what the future will bring for the Anglican Church’s beloved building in Cathedral Square, it is important to be able to monitor and measure any ongoing changes due to seismic activity.
“From the very start of the earthquakes we have said that our priorities are safety and people. These markers are essential to ensure such priorities as they measure the changes in the structural integrity of the building,” says Bishop Victoria Matthews.
Media inquiries to
Rev’d Jayson Rhodes
Communications Advisor
021 661319