EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 225, 22 September 1932, Page 21

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE.

CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS,

In September of last year, the School of Architecture of Auckland University College published a general review of earthquake-resisting construction by Mr. S. Irwin Crookes, jun., lecturer in building construction. A second bulletin has now been issued by the same writer describing Japanese methods of calculation and showing how these can be applied to New Zealand conditions.

While earthquake-resisting structures have already been designed and built in New Zealand the earthquakes in Hawke's Bay have clearly demonstrated the necessity of building regulations being revised to enforce reasonable protection against earthquake shocks in the interests of public safety. The method described in the bulletin is that actually employed in Japan, and it has been in general use since the disaster of 1923, in which Tokyo was destroyed. Japan has a long earthquake record and in consequence the subject of sound construction has received a great deal of attention in that, country. Furthermore, Japan has had in force for the past eight years a building law applying to her chief cities by which earthquakeresisting construction is mandatory.

The explanations given in the bulletin are supplemented by critical comments based upon the study of translations from the Japanese and also upon calculations for large Japanese buildings in structural steel and reinforced concrete. It is believed that the bulletin will be of some assistance in reaching decisions upon some of the future requirements of building regulations in this country—a matter of grave importance in the development of the Dominion.