EXTENSIVE REPAIR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 19, 23 January 1943, Page 6

EXTENSIVE REPAIR

KELBURN TRAINING COLLEGE

Extensive work is being done to the Kelburn Training College to make good earthquake damage, and today, the two buildings, college proper and hall, are very much in splints. The amount of scaffolding suggests that the buildings were wrecked more severely than was actually the case, but the decisiou of the Education Board, on the advice of its experts, is that while actual damage is being made good both buildings shall be overhauled and altered to give them resistance in case more and heavier shocks occur. There is a gene^ ral opinion that these buildings stand on ground that was filled when Upland Road was being cut from the hillside years ago, but a "Post" reporter who made inquiries on this point was told that this is not so, or that if there is filling there is no great depth of it. The top storey of the college, in brick, is to be taken down and will be replaced with asbestos board panelling on timber framing, and interior walls are also being replaced or strengthened, and to bond the remaining first storey brickwork against heavy sbock reinforced concrete banding will run round the building. Experience in Hawke's Bay and also in the shocks of much less severity last year here, and also throughout the Wairarapa, proved the effectiveness of these reinforced concrete bands. The worst damage to the hall was to the walls at either end where they ran up to high, steep gables. Now the roof design is being altered to avoid these steep gables and brickwork above the first floor level is being in part replaced with asbestos board on timber framing. The alterations will make a considerable difference to tlie appearance of both buildings, but within six months of the removal of the scaffolding nine out of ten will be unable to recall what was the original design and its. architectural, features and virtues. It will be a good many months before the buildings can be habitable, and students will for the next term or two do their work at Victoria College, as they have done since the. earthquakes. _j