LESSON FROM NAPIER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 35, 11 February 1931, Page 10

LESSON FROM NAPIER

HOW STRUCTURES FARED

TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION

(By "The Post's" Special Reporter.) NAPIER, This Day. , Though detailed discussions of tho types of buildings which were found so tragically wanting in, Napier and Hastings are matters for tho expert consideration which has been called for, not only in such individual cases as the appalling crashes at tho nurses' home and the children's wards at the Public Hospital, but for the future greater safety of New Zealand buildings generally, there are certain aspects which are subjects of general conversation and fixed opinion in both towns. Although Napier has long been recognised as subject to earthquake tremors, tKe town was not built to withstand shocks except in tho most recent buildings. A lime and cement mixture was apparently quite generally used -in "btokwork, even in recent structures, Hrid reinforcing as it is known m WclKneton has been little employed. A much lighter weight of steel was used, aiia in many cases where mam supporting pillars have been shored clean away there is but ono central reinforcing rod. The remarkable efficiency of,, even the lightest reinforcing is shW in buildings standing side by side, both in the area swept by the fire ana -where they wore affected by the shocl't alone. REINFORCED CONCRETE. Generally speaking, it may be saia that reinforced concrete buildings withstood the violence of the earthquake, but th,e blast of the fire followed immediately upon the shock, and no one, viewing the post office before last Tuesaay, could have credited such a building, embodying a minimum of ■wooden ilttings,' could bo gutted by fire, yet ;the fire ruin, was complete, though ih c main structure ■ stands solidly" anil seemingly unharmed except for the breaking away of a little ornamental stonework above the main entrance. The unharmed solidity of the Foresters' Hall is proof oif the capacity of adequately reinforced concrete buildings to withstand earthquake violence. The Post Office building, though a ruin in the interior, affords full proof-of tho capacity of largo buildings planned on modern lines to withstand tho terrific double punishment of earthquake and fire, . even where the reinforcing ' employed is of the lightest possible weight. The walling, whether exterior or partitioning, staod, -whereas in other buildings walls of similar material crashed to the ground. APPEARAJSTCE ONLY. Emerson street n fortnight ago had promise Of becoming Napier's finest street, for the str&ot widening scheme had set back one side, and pending the erection of new buildings a great many premises had been rejuvenated with handsome brick frontages. Owners of property on the opposite side naturally followed suit, and thus when the earthquake occurred tho Street was largely one of old wooden or other out-of-date buildings, made to look well by looselytied heavy brick or concrete frontages which in the 'quake crashed in a line. In a number of instances in other parts of the town where old buildings, had been redressed the same disastrous result followed. In streot widening in, practically every town and city in New Zealand this refronting of old buildings is commonly resorted to, but Napier s experience has been disastrous. It appears, moreover, that property owners setting back premises in. accordance with the new street line had no option as to re-erecting frontages in brick or concrete, as this part nf the town is a brick area. LIGHT INTERIORS. Brick or concrete, no matter how constructed or reinforced, may offer ..much greater earthquake danger than wood unless tied solidly to the remainder of the buildings. Lath and plaster construction is now little known in Wellington, even for one-3tory house building, but there is a number of such buildings of one and two stories in Napier. Where the fire did not reach them they stood tho shake well, though not as well as plain wood. Some twostory buildings of this type have sagged so badly that demolition must, follow. The failure of brick buildings with •wooden; interiors is most striking. There are a score of such buildings, which have fallen in a total wreck. One ot the most striking of these instances is the Taradale Hotel, which was illustrated in "The Post" last Saturday. In a large number of these buildings the light interior partitioning, lacking any real tie to the outer walls, simply thrust the walls outwards' on all four sides. In one of the suburban police stations the exterior brick work has fallen, leaving wooden lining of the lightest nature undamaged and supporting the roof. As is the ease with the redrossed shop fronts in Emerson street, a lack of bonding between all parts of the building has been found to be a fatal weakness.