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New Zealanders Want Stronger Buildings Amid Earthquake Risk
The latest industry research has set a new standard for builders around New Zealand: Kiwis expect their buildings to do more than just provide life safety in an earthquake.
Reports by the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineers (NZSEE) and the and The Earthquake Commission (EQC) Toka Tū Ake have seen an increase in respondents' expectations during seismic events. The report claims that Kiwis want to not only survive major earthquakes, but also be able to resume occupying and any activities within the building swiftly.
According to Helen Ferner from the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineers (NZSEE), this collaborative report by NZSEE and EQC Toka Tū Ake aims to delineate social expectations regarding building resilience.
“New Zealanders don't just want to escape a major earthquake with their lives, but they want to be back living and working in those buildings soon after an earthquake,” she said.
The report also found that the cost of increasing seismic resilience in new buildings was meagre. By avoiding fragile designs and using new innovations to focus on simpler, regular building design, it claimed that constructing resilient buildings only accounts for less than 1% of the construction cost.
Through The-Resilient Buildings Project report, the NZSEE and the EQC Toka Tū Ake hope that building engineers and designers can align these expectations in its future projects and frameworks.
Adaptive building design is needed to accommodate societal expectations
According to Ferner, the report sends a clear message to engineers, designers, and builders, and is said to play a major influence on future building designs. She also claims that an adaptive building design strategy that aligns with societal preference and risk tolerance is needed in the industry - while accounting for cost-effective mitigation.
“Our approach to design of new building continues to evolve and needs always to reflect society's desires and tolerance to the risk of damage, while also considering the costs of mitigation,” she said.
New Zealand has recorded unprecedented seismic activity recently, including two felt at Hokitika and at the lower North Island this month. Ferner says that these building expectations are necessary to avoid instances like the cordoning of Christchurch’s CBD from 2011 to 2013 following an earthquake.
It’s undeniable that cordoning laws come with larger economic and social impacts. The Christchurch earthquake and its subsequent shutdown of the CBD has damaged over 150,000 homes, of which 30,000 were listed as serious. Additionally, businesses in the tourism and manufacturing sectors were largely affected.
The New Zealand government spent around NZ $20 billion, excluding disruption costs, to rebuild the CBD. This accounted for 10% of the nation’s GDP.
“Those events highlighted that as well as the direct property costs, there was also significant indirect costs from social distress and economic disruption,” says Ferner.
“This framework will support people to create more resilient buildings without blowing the budget, while also meeting people’s expectations.”
EQC’s Chief Resilience and Research Officer, Dr Jo Horrocks, echoes this statement, citing that recent seismic events have made it imperative to fortify New Zealand homes on stable grounds. The Earthquake Commission Toka Tū Ake (EQC) has recently documented a significant $14 million investment to upgrade New Zealand's defences against natural hazards.
“From what New Zealanders have experienced in the past decade, more focus on preventing or minimising seismic damage to buildings makes good economic and social sense,” Horrocks said.
According to Ferner, a major American study has shown that greater building resilience not only reduces casualty and damage but also minimises loss of function, social distress, and economic disruption. She hopes this report will do the same for New Zealand.
“This non-prescriptive framework will help designers to link traditional building performance indicators to wider social, economic and environmental outcomes,” she says.
“Judging by the enormous trauma suffered in New Zealand, the project team believes the size of the prize, the potential to avoid property loss and associated social distress and economic disruptions, creates a moral imperative to intervene early in the building development phase.”
Key takeaway
Builders and construction workers must navigate a dynamic environment with expectations and changes ahead. Securing their businesses in the event of seismic activity is just one way they can safeguard their businesses against any unexpected risks.
Bonded NZ helps builders and contractors find the best insurance, warranties, and surety bonds that keep their best interests in mind. Whether it's a big or small project, our cost-effective options help them secure their projects at every angle.
For more information about our services, contact our team today.