How long will it take for decisions to be made and work to be done?
The length of time it will take to repair or make another decision about a facility will depend on the type of facility, the level of damage and the assessment and insurance process. Decisions for one site must take place within the context of all 1600 Council-owned facilities across the city and in Banks Peninsula.
Due to the large number of buildings owned by the Council and the limited number of engineers, quantity surveyors and other staff available, it will take at least two years to complete full engineering assessments of facilities.
All major decisions about a facility must be made by elected members. They will be presented with a full report, which includes recommendations from Council staff, about a building.
Due to the size of the project, decision making will occur in stages. Repairs and rebuilding will occur to some facilities as decision making about other buildings continues. It could take until 2014 for decisions to be made about all the facilities included in the project due to the length of the DEE assessment process and other considerations such as the insurance process.
Some repair work to buildings has already been completed where the Council has had insurance approval. The Council has also approved repair work above insurance value to begin on a number of facilities. These include Fendalton Library and Service Centre, Poisedon Café in Sumner and the Curator’s House in Rolleston Avenue.
Are the Council buildings that are currently open safe?
All buildings that are considered to be ‘high risk’ are currently closed. Council facilities are currently being prioritised for DEE assessments according to a risk-based profiling approach endorsed by the Engineering Advisory Group Committee. Now that Council-owned buildings are undergoing more Detailed Engineering Evaluations it is possible that these will show a building has more damage than identified in earlier engineering assessments.
Factors that are taken into account include:
Recommendations made as part of a Level Two Rapid Assessment
The age of a building
The material with which it is constructed
The number of people using the building
The type and duration of building use
Ground conditions
Whether it is likely to be an earthquake-prone building.
Following the September and February earthquakes, Level Two Rapid Assessments or an equivalent assessment were carried out on buildings. As part of a Level Two Rapid Assessment, an engineer carries out a visual inspection of the inside and outside of a building and checks it for any obvious structural damage. Land damage is also noted. After the 13 June earthquake, this level of assessment was carried out on buildings with identified damage. Buildings that were considered not to have incurred significant structural damage at this time were given a green placard.
Within 30 minutes of an earthquake or aftershock of magnitude five or greater, an engineer analyses peak ground acceleration data collected by Geonet Science to determine which Council facilities need a Level Two Rapid Assessment – a visual assessment of the inside and outside of a building.
The peak ground acceleration data, which is collected by instruments across the city, is a measure of the level of ground shaking both vertically and horizontally during the course of the event. The accelerations vary significantly across the city and information from more than 30 instruments is used by the engineers to identify which areas of the city buildings should possibly be inspected.
As part of a defined risk profiling process, the engineers also take into account the location and depth of the earthquake or aftershock, previous damage to the land and buildings in an area, and the construction type of individual buildings to determine which buildings require inspection. This may result in some buildings being closed for engineering inspections while other buildings remain open. By using all the available information to target the inspections to specific areas or buildings it is possible to complete the inspections in a reasonable timeframe while causing as little disruption to Council staff and the public as possible.
If the peak ground acceleration is high and assessments are needed, the Council will ask structural engineers to assess the buildings for any new damage.
Will Council-owned buildings be expected to meet the New Building Standard (NBS)?
As part of the DEE process, buildings will be measured against the New Building Standard. Recommendations will be made to the Council around the cost of repairing a building to 67 percent of the new building code or 100 percent of the code.
If a DEE shows that the building has a capacity of 34 percent or less of the NBS, it will be closed. Buildings with a capacity between 34 percent and 66 percent can be occupied where engineering advice confirms that there is a moderate to low risk. This assessment is made on a case-by-case basis. Buildings with a capacity of 67 percent or greater can be used without restriction.
What will happen to the buildings that are part of this Facilities Rebuild Plan?
There are a number of possible scenarios: a building is repaired to the same level; a building is repaired to a higher standard; a building is demolished and replaced with the same type of facility; a building is demolished and replaced with a different facility or a building is demolished and not replaced.
Will I have a say in what happens to a facility?
A lot of public consultation has already occurred as part of the Central City Plan and other key Council strategies around its facilities and the services provided there. We are committed to keeping the public informed about decisions made about a facility. There is likely to be some public consultation for some of the major facilities.
How much is this expected to cost?
This is unclear at this stage of the project. The Council has insurance in place to cover repairs to a building. Council insurance may cover some of the cost to strengthen buildings but this will be determined on a case by case basis.
What is a Detailed Engineering Evaluation (DEE)?
The DEE process has been developed by the Engineering Advisory Group, and supported by Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), to assess existing buildings following recent earthquakes.
The DEE process requires a more detailed analysis of a building’s structure to gain an understanding of the damage that a building has sustained; the cause of the damage and the overall impact on the performance or capacity of the building to withstand future earthquakes or significant aftershocks. This is expressed as a percentage of the New Building Standard (NBS). DEE assessments also include recommendations for future repair or earthquake strengthening work.
These assessments can take a number of months and engineers may employ a number of techniques, including invasive tests such as removing wall cladding or ceiling linings.
DEE assessments are divided into two parts – Qualitative and Quantitative Assessments.
For more information, see the Engineering Assessment Document [PDF 400KB]
Why is the Council carrying out Detailed Engineering Evaluations (DEEs)?
The Council is carrying out DEE assessments on its buildings to help it determine the level of damage a building has sustained and a building’s capacity to withstand future earthquakes. These assessments will inform discussions with the Council’s insurers and help the Council to make decisions about the future of a building.
How has the Council determined the order in which assessments will be carried out on its facilities?
Buildings are being prioritised for assessment according to a set of weighted criteria. To see the criteria, click here. Three different categories have been taken into consideration in the prioritisation process. The ‘occupancy’ category takes into consideration factors such as the type and number of people using the building and the length of time the building is occupied. The ‘use’ category considers what the building is used for, for example this could be a critical activity for the Council or the building could have be of significant value to the community. The ‘physical attribute’ category takes into account a number of factors such as the age of the building, the material with which it is made, its heritage significance, and the size/complexity of the building. This category also notes the type of damage a building has incurred.
Buildings that meet a combination of the criteria will be the first to be assessed. It will take longer for those who meet fewer criteria to be assessed. A wide range of Council staff have had input into this assessment programme, including chartered engineers and facility managers. Councillors have also had input and community boards will have the opportunity for input during March and April.
How much will these assessments cost to undertake?
The two-year programme of work is expected to cost about $6 to $7 million. This will be mainly funded by insurance where a building has structural damage and where there is a successful insurance claim. If a building does not have structural damage, the Council will pay for it to be assessed.
Does an engineering assessment need to be completed before repairs can begin on a building?
As a DEE assessment gives a more accurate picture of the type of damage a building has sustained, it does not make sense to begin significant repairs until this level of assessment is completed.
