BUILDING SAFETY

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 147, 17 March 1933, Page 6

BUILDING SAFETY

Earthquake Dangers That Can be Avoided LESSONS FROM NAPIER Buildings can be economically constructed able to withstand earth movements of an intensity equal to that of the Napier earthquake, according to Mr. Stanley Natusch, who delivered a lantern lecture at the Pioneer Clubrooms last evening. The occasion was an “At Home.” given by Mr. and Mrs. Natusch, and among the guests the chairman and committee of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects were present. Before the earthquake in 1931, said Mr. Natusch, houses in Napier were mostly of timber frame with- corrugated iron or tile roofs. The wool stores and business places generally were similarly timber framed. Brick build ings, i.e., buildings with brick uter Avails and with timber floors and parti-, tions, appeared later. In some instances reinforced concrete floors were used with suitable brick walls. There were a few stone buildings. In the twenty years proceeding the quake n number of reinforced concrete buildings appeared, largely with incongruous timber floors and partitions, and timber and iron roofs. Only a very few buildings were of .reinforced concrete throughout. It was, in fact, a fair sample of what one would find in any New Zealand town. Like a Ship.

“Whether you build in timber or in brick,” Mr. Natusch continued, “or whether you pin your faith on the steel frame or reinforced concrete, the same idea applies: frame your building like a ship." It was customary to brace the walls of a structure; the floor and roof should be properly braced as well.

Chimneys were difficult to deal with only in timber buildings, said Mr. Natusch. In brick and reinforced concrete buildings they formed a part of the whole and did not introduce an essentially foreign element as they did in timber. Bricks, being of a heavier nature than timber, were swayed by earth-tremors much less quickly. In consequence ordinarily buUt chimneys quite often were battered to pieces by the quick-moving timbers, even in shakes of moderate size. To put boards on the roof so that the chimney tops could not fall through was a help. Strengthening of the weak parts in a building should be done without first waiting for the lesson provided by a disaster. It was quite a simple thing to do and often not costly, and the work entailed would relieve unemployment and certainly give a much greater sense of security to the community. Need For By-law*.

The size of the Napier calamity shocked tho country and there was an urgent demand for the overhaul of our building laws, Mr..Natusch said. The demand of the New Zealand Institute of Architects after the suggestions following the Murchison shake had been shelved without action, but this time a committee was set up of representatives of the Government, munieipal arid local bodies, architects and engineers, contractors and all building interests. The object of the committee was hot achieved although substantial agreement was reached and draft regulations framed for standard building bylaws throughout the country. Buildings erected to those by-laws would provide reasonable safeguards to building owntors, tenants, and the public, but the country still waited for our standard by-laws to be made law. In a perfect State, with perfect architects, perfect engineers,, perfect builders, and, also, perfect clients, a country could do without building bylaws and officials to see them enforced, but New Zealand had not reached that and the matter was urgent. Good and safe building was not a luxury; it was not even more costly than bad. Actually in Napier new building work had conformed very closely to the suggested standard regulations, and calculations of stresses as well as structural drawings had to be submitted, and were checked by two engineers who wete lent to the borough for this purpose.. Their services were invaluable. Small towns could not each afford full-time engineers, Mr. Natusch concluded, or building inspectors with the requisite qualifications for checking building construction, but two or more small towns could combine to employ one consultant buildlug inspector between them.