title: Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and the impacts of volcanism on early Maori society: An update

authors: Lowe, David J.

subjects: Polynesian settlement

abstract: Presents an overview of the timing of Polynesian settlement in New Zealand, discussing the application of tephrochronology and rat and avian bone dating to the problem. The impacts of volcanism on early Maori society are examined, including the catastrophic impacts of the Tarawera eruption of 1886.

text: Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and the impacts of volcanism on early Maori society: An update Presents an overview of the timing of Polynesian settlement in New Zealand, discussing the application of tephrochronology and rat and avian bone dating to the problem. The impacts of volcanism on early Maori society are examined, including the catastrophic impacts of the Tarawera eruption of 1886.

year: 2008

title: Land/seascapes of exclusion: social order on the coastal margins

authors: Ryks, John

abstract: The hegemonic discourse of coastal planning and development has an impact on the social ordering of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s coastal communities in a number of ways. One way in which social order is controlled and maintained is through the (ab)use of boundaries. Boundaries constructed and maintained under the authority of government and/or funded by development dictate where people may or may not live. In many cases these boundaries are used as instruments of exclusion. Boundaries constructed by hegemonic groups exclude those who define the coast according to other criteria. The hegemonic deployment of boundaries and the domination of coastal people and place generally is explored through an analysis of discourse. This analysis is structured according to differences in social order, coded as places of Otherness (heterotopia), Euclidean coasts, and places in transition reflecting images of both the former and the latter.
Drawing on a number of coastal communities, including the Northland community of Otia (otherwise known as the Seaweed Pickers), Taylor’s Mistake, Whitianga and the wealth enclave of Pauanui, it is shown that the land/seascape of coastal Aotearoa/New Zealand is gradually being disciplined through the design of coasts that are accommodating of a particular patronage. These ‘exclusive’ coasts appear in stark contrast to those places where an alternative social ordering takes place. Here, in the absence of a Euclidean spatiality, uncertainty and liminality feature in the social construction of the coast. Residents of these places mark out and define the coast in a way that is quite different from the accepted norm, a fact that determines a particular ‘cartographic anxiety’ on the part of the dominant. This anxiety is instrumental in the construction of Otherness and the (re)production of exclusion.

text: Land/seascapes of exclusion: social order on the coastal margins The hegemonic discourse of coastal planning and development has an impact on the social ordering of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s coastal communities in a number of ways. One way in which social order is controlled and maintained is through the (ab)use of boundaries. Boundaries constructed and maintained under the authority of government and/or funded by development dictate where people may or may not live. In many cases these boundaries are used as instruments of exclusion. Boundaries constructed by hegemonic groups exclude those who define the coast according to other criteria. The hegemonic deployment of boundaries and the domination of coastal people and place generally is explored through an analysis of discourse. This analysis is structured according to differences in social order, coded as places of Otherness (heterotopia), Euclidean coasts, and places in transition reflecting images of both the former and the latter.
Drawing on a number of coastal communities, including the Northland community of Otia (otherwise known as the Seaweed Pickers), Taylor’s Mistake, Whitianga and the wealth enclave of Pauanui, it is shown that the land/seascape of coastal Aotearoa/New Zealand is gradually being disciplined through the design of coasts that are accommodating of a particular patronage. These ‘exclusive’ coasts appear in stark contrast to those places where an alternative social ordering takes place. Here, in the absence of a Euclidean spatiality, uncertainty and liminality feature in the social construction of the coast. Residents of these places mark out and define the coast in a way that is quite different from the accepted norm, a fact that determines a particular ‘cartographic anxiety’ on the part of the dominant. This anxiety is instrumental in the construction of Otherness and the (re)production of exclusion.

year: 2002

title: Determination of optimum moisture content and degradation of shear strength over time for Hamilton ash materials

authors: Kuman, Doney

subjects: Hamilton Ash

abstract: Hamilton Ash is one of the widely used materials in earthwork projects throughout the Waikato region. Regardless of its frequent and widespread usage, limited research has been undertaken regarding its geotechnical properties. It has been 
observed that after the completion of fill construction, Hamilton Ash unit tends to saturate overtime thus leading to a gradual loss of shear strength and ultimately resulting in ground instability. Common instabilities associated with soil fills are settlement and subsidence which in excess can result in distortion and damage to 
structures, services and infrastructures that are founded on the material subjected to the movement. The compaction stage, wherein the problem originates, can be optimized if better understanding of the geotechnical properties of Hamilton Ash is attained. 

My project focused on determining the key compaction parameters of Hamilton Ash which are the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density. Further investigation into the degrading influence of prolonged exposure to moisture on the shear strength is also undertaken. The use of laboratory compaction tests have been recognized as mandatory procedures in determining the crucial parameters for field-based applications. The Standard Proctor test was implemented in this research to help determine the key compaction parameters; Optimum Moisture Content and Maximum Dry Density of Hamilton Ash. Prior to the compaction tests, the important index properties of the soil that influence compaction were identified via several soil characterization tests, namely Atterberg Limits, grainsize and mineralogical analyses. Laboratory vane shear testing was also employed in this research to determine the strength of the compacted soil before and after wetting periods.

text: Determination of optimum moisture content and degradation of shear strength over time for Hamilton ash materials Hamilton Ash is one of the widely used materials in earthwork projects throughout the Waikato region. Regardless of its frequent and widespread usage, limited research has been undertaken regarding its geotechnical properties. It has been 
observed that after the completion of fill construction, Hamilton Ash unit tends to saturate overtime thus leading to a gradual loss of shear strength and ultimately resulting in ground instability. Common instabilities associated with soil fills are settlement and subsidence which in excess can result in distortion and damage to 
structures, services and infrastructures that are founded on the material subjected to the movement. The compaction stage, wherein the problem originates, can be optimized if better understanding of the geotechnical properties of Hamilton Ash is attained. 

My project focused on determining the key compaction parameters of Hamilton Ash which are the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density. Further investigation into the degrading influence of prolonged exposure to moisture on the shear strength is also undertaken. The use of laboratory compaction tests have been recognized as mandatory procedures in determining the crucial parameters for field-based applications. The Standard Proctor test was implemented in this research to help determine the key compaction parameters; Optimum Moisture Content and Maximum Dry Density of Hamilton Ash. Prior to the compaction tests, the important index properties of the soil that influence compaction were identified via several soil characterization tests, namely Atterberg Limits, grainsize and mineralogical analyses. Laboratory vane shear testing was also employed in this research to determine the strength of the compacted soil before and after wetting periods.

year: 2019