Strengthening Work Required after Showplace and Art Gallery Confirmed as Earthquake Prone

The TSB Showplace and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery have been confirmed as earthquake prone following detailed engineering evaluations.

Parts of both buildings have been assessed as having a seismic strength of no more than 20 per cent of the New Building Standard (NBS) in the Building Act 2004, meaning the Council regards them as earthquake-prone under the its Earthquake Prone Buildings Policy.

General Manager Infrastructure Anthony Wilson says: “We intend to strengthen the showplace over summer, turning our attention to the gallery in March 2013 when construction of the Len Lye Centre is due to begin.

“We are proposing to keep both facilities open in the meantime, with clear signage advising their status as earthquake prone under the Council’s Earthquake Prone Buildings Policy.”

A bill of around $700,000 is expected for the showplace strengthening while work at the gallery has yet to be priced. Signage will go up at both sites in the next couple of days.

Mr Wilson adds: “This is not cause for alarm – there is more risk in driving home every evening than going into either of these buildings. However, although structurally sound under normal conditions, we know now they could be vulnerable in the event of a serious earthquake so we must take remedial action as soon as we can.

“These buildings present no more risk to the public now than they did 20 years ago. The difference is that we understand this risk a lot better and, given the tragedy of Canterbury, the country has a much greater focus on earthquake prone buildings.”

The showplace and gallery are the only two Council buildings to be confirmed as earthquake prone.

The Council is awaiting the findings of a detailed engineering evaluation on the library building at Puke Ariki, which was rated at 42 per cent of the seismic strength required under the NBS in its preliminary assessment. Under its Earthquake Prone Buildings Policy the Council regards buildings at less than 34 per cent NBS as earthquake prone.

Two other Council-owned buildings, Waitara War Memorial Hall and Te Henui Vicarage, have been classified as earthquake risk (as opposed to earthquake prone) following preliminary desktop structural assessments which rated them at 40 per cent and 36 per cent of the NBS respectively. Officers are recommending that the Monitoring Committee approve detailed engineering evaluations (as completed for the showplace and gallery) to determine the feasibility of bringing both buildings up to 67 per cent of the seismic strength required by the NBS.

“We will be aiming to strengthen the showplace and gallery to at least two-thirds NBS as well, although ideally more,” says Mr Wilson.

A report on the matter will be considered by the Council’s Monitoring Committee next Tuesday.