Seismic building assessments

A seismic building assessment analyses a building’s structure and durability in case of an earthquake.

Unfortunately, earthquakes are a major risk in New Zealand. Since the Christchurch Earthquake in 2011, preparing existing buildings for the next earthquake has become a major focus of the government. As a result, many longstanding buildings had to be demolished and rebuilt to the new standards to ensure that they could withstand a similarly strong earthquake should it happen again.

How buildings are rated

In 2017, the national earthquake-prone building system took effect. The new system rates seismic zones on a 3-point scale from low to high risk. Buildings within a zone that are prone to earthquakes are assigned an earthquake rating and owners are notified if the building is earthquake-prone. From there, a timeframe is set out for seismic improvements to be made.

There are two different earthquake rating categories. The first is 0% to less than 20%. This percentage pertains to the percentage of the new standards met, so lower numbers are a worse score. The second is 20% to 33%. These buildings have a lower risk overall but still receive an Earthquake Prone building notice as they are still considered high-risk. Above 33% is medium risk and no notice is required to be put on the building.

What this means as a building owner

As a building owner or someone looking to build, this means there are a few things to keep in mind:

• You may still receive a notice if you’re in a medium or high-risk area. Most buildings have been identified by this point, with all buildings in high and medium risk priority earthquake-prone buildings expected to be identified by July 2022.
• Your building may require improvements to reduce seismic risks. New buildings have a much stricter code to follow for seismic protections. Some older buildings that are at risk however may require improvements to meet minimum standards
• High risk buildings must have a notice displayed in a prominent location. The type of notice depends on the risk level. If enough improvements are made this notice can be removed at a later date.
  

  Getting your building assessed

  If you’ve received a notice that your building needs seismic improvements, you need to have a certified engineer perform assessment to see if the improvements lower the risk of earthquake damage for the building. Failure to meet the standards will result in fees and penalties, so it’s important to have a seismic building assessment done as soon as possible.

  At Cole’s Consulting, our qualified team can perform Seismic building assessments for your building at any stage. Get in touch with us today to find out more.