High voltage learning during the Christchurch earthquakes

I've settled back in at CPIT and getting back in the run of things at the Trades Innovation Institute. I'm getting used to being back now, and finally accepting my ASL is over and had time to reflect on it.. Into it on the 8th March I'm looking back now and realizing just how amazingly lucky I was, having started this on the 31st January this year (wondering if I was going to see quake damage from September!), and what we've been through here in Christchurch. Not only have I gained a massive amount of experience in Cable Jointing and Line Mechanic work, I've also gained 20Gb of photos and video of the aforementioned work as teaching resources, earthquake damage, and really, captured a part of our history from a 'trades academic' point of view. I feel extremely lucky and privileged to have worked with some of the most heroic individuals I have ever met, who have showed grit and determination in their various tasks to fix the quake-damaged Christchurch di...

Well, I'm back at CPIT now, and it's been a week of many emotions.. Even though I know I'm a Tutor who is now teaching the future electrical workers who will help rebuild Christchurch, I feel I've abandoned my city.  Packing a shovel and digging, helping with joints, even talking to locals with broken homes, I felt like I was  helping defy these earthquakes that have progressively worsened or ruined life for many of us. What I don't miss; seeing damage. The central city and towards the east just has so much damage. Seeing all of this gets me down, really. I get this feeling of 'where do you start'? The job of fixing Christchurch seems massive. It will be a long process. I want to thank so many people for helping me with my Academic Study Leave, what I will do is a new post (next time) and do it then. This post will cover my last two weeks with Connetics. Soooooo.... Work log: Monday 20th June: 11kV PILCA-XLPE-PILCA transition joints outside AMI st...

Christchurch has had 3 major, 10 moderate, and around 7000 minor earthquakes and aftershocks at this point in  time. The following is a personal account of the damage based on my  personal experiences and the different side-effects of earthquakes.  I need to stress at this point in time, I am NO geologist, seismologist, or network analyst. So some of this information may not be accurate, it's simply based on my logic as an Electrical Tutor! I apologize in advance if I say anything incorrect, and feel free to post anonymous comments (this has been done, already, thank you!) and correct me. In my opinion there have been four major side-effects of a quake (in Christchurch's  case):  Ground shaking  Liquefaction Lateral spread L andslides/building collapse/rockfalls.  Christchurch did not  experience tsunami related to our own quakes at any stage.  I will cover each category for some systems in the Christchurch distribution network that...