HAWERA HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 24 February 1931, Page 4

HAWERA HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

POSSIBLE EARTHQUAKE: DAMAGE LITTLE CAUSE FOR ALARM.

The collapse of the Napier Nurses’ Home, and the general damage to brick buildings in the earthquake area led to a query as to the safety of the Hawera Hospital and the nurses’ home, both brick buildings, in the event of a severe ’quake being experienced locally. In the opinion of the board’s architects, Messrs Duff ill and Gibson, there is little cause for alarm.

Reporting to the board yesterday the architects stated that they had visited Napier and Hastings to study the effect of the big ’quake on buildings of various types, and in particular the Napier Hospital buildings. As a Government commission has been appointed to investigate this subject the architects asked that their statement be taken dn committee. At the conclusion the board released the following extracts from the report for publication:— “Comparing the locail hospital with the Napier Hospital we would point out that the latter was built on the crest of a hill, with the ground falling quickly away on all sides around the site, a situation likely to experience the full force of any shook, whereas the Hawera (buildings are on a good foundation, being even in character all over a level site, and in our opinion are likely to Ibe more stable on that account alone. “In the construction of the two buildings, the newer wards of the Napier Hospital are of a similar type of construction to the Hawera. wards and these have stood the shook remarkably well, damage as far as may be seen by an external examination, being confined mainly to wrecked chimneys and broken glass. (Not© Hawera Hospital has no chimneys in wards units.) “In (both hospitals these wards, are constructed of brickwork, tied around at w r all head level by reinforced concrete bands, and this type of construction here and in. other parts of Napier seems to lmve escaped damage likely to be dangerous to occupants. “With regard to the Hawera Nurses’ Home, keeping in view the fact that this building is on sound concrete foundations and is tied at every floor level with reinforced concrete bands, also at roof level, vre _ are of opinion that there is very little cause for alarm as far as it is humanly possible to predict. In order that every means of safeguarding life may be taken, we would suggest that the occupants be instructed in jjase of an earth shock to make their exit by means of the wooden bailoonies on the north side of the building. The Napier Nurses’ Home seems, to have been of a different style of construction from the Hawera building, and without an opportunity of studying the plans, we are not prepared to express an opinion as to the cause of its collapse. . “To sum up, we deprecate the wholesale condemnation of any type of building construction until a thorough investigation is made and the report of the special commission is made public.”