BUILDING BYLAWS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 100, 30 April 1931, Page 10

BUILDING BYLAWS

A LESSON FROM NAPIER

ENGINEER'S ADVICE

Mr. J. N. Wallace, a Civic League and Ratepayers' Association candidate for the Oity Council, broke new ground last night when he urged that the new council should take steps to tighten up the city's building bylaws. As a civil and electrical engineer of standing, Mr. Wallace is qualified to speak upon these points with authority. ■ '

"The Murchison disaster, followed by the terrible tragedy this year in Hawkes Bay district, has taken the question of the earthquake resistance of buildings entirely out of the academic field, and- it must be brought home to all citizens that not a day should be lost in putting our house in order," said Mr. Wallace. "Bound up in this question is that of building for fire prevention. The markets fire- in Wellington, an isolated case, not a series of fires as caused by-an earthquake, shows us the risks we run in normal time and the inadequacy, incidentally, of our fire protection."

Mr. Wallace said that lio had had the, benefit of a discussion with Mr. A. S. Mitchell, a foremost authority on building construction. At Napier a number of reinforced concrete buildings collapsed owing to the reinforcing bars not being in any Tray interlocked, resulting in sections of the concrete and reinforcement ■ falling apart. like children's building blocks, said Mr. Wallace. Such construction, to give it its mildest term, -was criminal. Other large buildings were constructed on what Mr. Mitchell had aptly named the private garage principle—in other words, three sides were well, and strongly erected, but the fourth side had practically no wall, due to the presence of large doors, show windows, etc. When such a building started to rock it kept going until it simply collapsed like a wooden match-box cover under pressure unevenly applied. TYPES OF BUILDINGS. Ono reinforced concrete building in Napier, well and truly constructed, standing apparently intact, would have to bo torn down on account of the. ravages of thep fire, so intense that the concrete was turned into its component elements. Many people to-day seemed to feel that brick buildings were unsafe and that wooden ones were very safe. Brick buildings not exceeding the neighbourhood of 30 feet properly built, were apparently as earthquake resisting as any other construction. Wooden buildings without chimneys apparently did not need any special construction to be earthquake resisting, but wooden residences without chimneys were conspicuous by their absence. The present bylaws permitted of chimneys which might be safe for taking away heated gases from fires, but were woefully fragile when _it came to resisting impact or ,sido strains. BALANCED CORNICES. "A minor but nevertheless serious architectural defect in business premises and public buildings is caused, by overhanging cornices and various styles ■of ornamental excrescences," Mr. Wallace continued. "Some cornices in Wellington are of what might bo called the balanced type. Disturb the equilibrium and they will fall down, perhaps directly over a doorway. These are only a few points to consider and in need of immediate consideration.

"Well-designed buildings of any material honestly .^built under proper supervision and inspection can be made far more earthquake resisting than many of our present buildings. There is no need of ornamentation which jeopardises human life. There is no need of chimneys which, fall liko a pack of cards. There is need of action on the part of the City Council to cope with those problems 'and ensure as far as 'possible public safety.'.'