EARTHQUAKE RISK

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 76, 31 March 1931, Page 17

EARTHQUAKE RISK

PETONE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS

A "report upon, the condition of the Potonc Municipal Buildings from • an' earthquake point of view was submitted to the Petohe Borough Council last night by Messrs. Gray, Young, Morton, and Young. ■ According to the report the building was built of brick, laid in cement mortar, and was a good one of its type to ( withstand earthquake shocks. The.clock turret had been constructed with Gin by Gin angle posts, which camo down into brick walls built up three or four feet above the coiling level. Theso posts were stressed up to tho limit for wind1 pressure, and with tho addition of an' earthquake shock of any intensity would collapse. To mako matters worse tho borer had got.into the posts . and it was hard to say how much damage had been thereby done to them. It was recommended that the turret should be reconstructed with stronger posts or..the existing ones reinforced . with steel angles and also that bracing should be iixed between the, brick walls of the base of tho tower. A suggestion was mado : that the council- consider rcerecting the clock in a tower in a suitable position in one of the open spaces of the borough. It was decided to inform the Postmaster General that the clock will have to be shifted, and to refer the report to the incoming council as an urgent matter.

A councillor suggested that there might bo a clock-tower on the new Post Office, but tho Mayor (Mr. D. M'Kenssio) said that the Postmaster-General had made him understand that therewould be no clock turret on the new building. Replying to another councillor, the Town Clerk (Mr. W. F.Sturman) said that the' Municipal Buildings were covered by earthquake insurance.