BUILDING TO RESIST EARTHQUAKES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 22, 21 October 1937, Page 6

BUILDING TO RESIST EARTHQUAKES

Engineer’s Address SAFETY OF PROPERTY AS WELL AS LIVES The necessity for paying attention to the safety of property under earthquake shock, in addition to^ e of human life, was emphasised D) Ml. C W. Turner, designing engineer, 1 nolle Works Department, in an address ou "Earthquake Resisting Construction” at the annual meeting 01 the technological section of the Wellington Philosophical Society last lyght. Mr. Turner was the departmental officer largely responsible for the passing of plans for the reconstruction of Napier, and has since extensively studied earthquake problems in America. At the present time buildings were being designed from the earthquakeresisting standpoint as frame structures, the lecturer said, and it was important to remember in this connection that before a frame could act it bad to distort. In so doing it was liable to fracture the rigid finishes such as marble veneer, partitions, plaster and general trim which might amount to about 80 per cent, of the value of the building. . . Mr. Turner quoted the opinion Ot Mr. H. M. Engle, engineer to the Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific, who summarised the situation from the underwriters’ standpoint as follows: - “A building design which allows all of the building to be shattered except the frame is of no value. The cost of the building frame alone is hardly ever over 15 per cent, of the total building cost. The bulk of the cost is in the rigid walls, partitions and finish. The bracing, therefore, should be of a nature which will safeguard that part of the structure which represents most of the cost.” It wae important to note that reliance was frequently placed on the stiffness of the floors to transmit the earthquake forces and that, . unless adequate stiffening was provided, the walks would bulge and fall out under earthquake stress. That aspect was being emphasised in California at the present time. Mr. Turner outlined the various researches that were being carried out. but expressed the Arm conviction that the main source of information as to earthquake resistance was the observation of the behaviour of buildings in actual earth shocks. Undoubtedly, information of considerable value had been obtained from the Hawke’s Bay disaster.

In the discussion which followed emphasis was laid on the ignorance which still, exists regarding the fundamentals of earthquake movement, and the consequent need for planned research in New Zealand.

A vote of thanks, proposed by .Mr. F. W. Furkert, and seconded by the chairman, Mr. S. H. Wilson, was carried by acclamation. At the annual meeting of the section, Mr. H. C. Heays was elected chairman for the ensuing year, Messrs. J. F. Gabites and L. R. Dunn, vice-chair-men, and Messrs. R. L. Andrew, A. C. Mitchell, A. S. Prime, Christiansen, and Dr. M. A. F. Barnett, the committee.