Council buildings evaluated for earthquake risk

Nelson City Council’s earthquake prone buildings policy, introduced in 2006, adopts a staged approach to reducing earthquake risk, starting with identifying buildings that may be earthquake prone. Council follows the same structural evaluation process for its buildings that private landowners are required to follow./p>

The evaluation process comprises two distinct steps that measure the strength of the building against a new building’s strength.

The first step is a table top evaluation by a structural engineer who delivers an initial rating, which is then compared to a set of criteria to determine if a detailed evaluation is required. If the initial rating is above 33% of the New Building Standard (NBS), then no detailed evaluation is required.

If the rating is below 33% of the New Building Standard, the building is deemed potentially earthquake prone and a detailed evaluation may be required. This second evaluation involves examining the building in much closer detail.

For a list of earthquake-prone buildings visit epbr.building.govt.nz

More information

For further information about earthquake evaluations for Council buildings can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions - Council Earthquake Evaluations page.