Earthquake-prone buildings: NZSEE Recommendations launched
The New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) has launched its Assessment and Improvement of the Structural Performance of Buildings in Earthquake (the Recommendations).
The Department of Building and Housing has supported the NZSEE Study Group in developing the Recommendations. Since the introduction of new requirements in the Building Act 2004, the Recommendations have been aligned with NZS 1170.5: 2004 and have been introduced to designers and building officials via seminars held throughout the country. Feedback from these seminars has been taken into account in developing the final publication.
The 300-page document will provide designers, building officials and owners with preliminary and detailed guidelines on how to assess the earthquake performance of existing buildings.
Guidance is also given on means to improve earthquake performance.
Included in the document is a proposed grading scheme for classifying the earthquake performance of any building, whether or not it is earthquakeprone.
This is designed to be of use to owners, insurers and the general public by providing information on the relative risk of existing buildings.
Earthquake-prone buildings in the Building Act
The Building Act 2004 introduced the requirement for territorial authorities to develop policies on earthquake-prone buildings in their area by 31 May 2006. This is a long-term strategy that recognises the need to keep earthquake risk-reduction on the agenda and reduce it over time.
The relevant provisions of the Building Act 2004 are sections 122 to 132 inclusive. An earthquake-prone building is one that would have its ultimate capacity exceeded in a moderate earthquake, and be likely to collapse causing injury, death or damage (section 122).
The draft Recommendations are already being used by designers and building offi cials in resolving issues related to earthquake performance of existing buildings, their earthquake-proneness under the Building Act, and for insurance assessments.
A published version of the Recommendations can be purchased from the NZSEE.