BRICK SCHOOLS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 February 1931, Page 9

BRICK SCHOOLS

POSITION IN OTAGO DIRECTION BY MINISTER FOR EDUCATION (By Telegraph—Preßs Association) DUNEDIN, 18th February. “Id seems to me that some people take fright,” said the chairman (Mr J. Wallace) when a communication from the Director of Education was before the Otago Education Board at this morning’s meeting, the Director of Education writing that he was directed bv the Minister to say that in view of the recent severe earthquake in Hawkes Bay, and of the fact that brick buildings of all descriptions suffered more severely than buildings erected in any other material, the Minister had directed that all work of construction on educational buildings in brick must cease forthwith. If there were in their district any such buildings in course of erection, arrangements should be made accordingly. wrote Mr Strong. He was also directed to ask that all brick buildings in the district at present in occupation should be immediately inspected by the architect, and a report furnished to the Department through the Board. In this connection the Public Works Department had been requested to instruct its District Engineer or its Resident Engineer to collaborate with the Board’s architect on his visit of inspection. The engineer’s report would be sent separately to the permanent head of his own Department. The request was for the inspection of all brick educational buildings, whether erected from plans prepared by the architect or otherwise.

Mr Wallace said that as far as Otago and Southland were concerned the direction.seemed to be “bunkum.” He said he could not remember a decent earthquake in Dunedi;*. Mr J. Horn: There was one in Otago in 1875 which knocked down chimneys in Oamaru and Port Chalmers. The chairman said that the instructions would have to be carried out; but attention should be drawn to the fact that the foundations for the Albany Street School were aractically in. The Director's letter was noted, and the question of the Albany Street School building was left in the hands of the chairman to get in touch with the Department.

A NEW PLYMOUTH SCHOOL ARCHITECT’S ASSURANCE NEW PLYMOUTH. 18th February. Safety points in building construction were reported upon by Mr C. 11. Moore, the Taranaki Education Board’s architect, at a meeting to-day. He dealt especially with the new Central School, which replaces the old building destroyed by fire. The new building is in course of construction, but work lias ceased. Meanwhile the architect and two members of the board are to visit Hawkes Bay and consider the effects of a shake. “I wish to assure parents of school children of the safety of the new school in course of erection,” said Mr Moore. “In a sense it is not even one storey in brick. Owing to the special construction of what is now known in Taranaki as the fresh-air type of school it is only necessary to carry the walls of the classrooms in brick 9 feet high from the floors, and between each window is a reinforced concrete pier faced on the outside by 4i inches brickwork. The partitions between the classrooms are 9 inches by 9 feet high (where has this been done in any other part of New Zealand?) and on top of this will be a reinforced concrete head encircling each classroom and there are also Jin tie rods across. The walls_ of the cloakrooms are only 10 feet high and of 4j,in cavity-wall construction. What practical man would say a building of this sort is not as safe as anyone could reasonably expect it to be?

STRENGTH OF THE CEMENT “We are using a cement mortar composed of one of cement to five of mixed iime mortar. The bricks are bedded in this, and the whole becomes practically a concrete wall. How many of the brick buildings erected in New Zealand have only lime mortar held by cement pointing? If tliik were removed after a few years the lime mortar could be washed or raked out like sand? To make a comparison, here we are constructing 9in walls 9ft high practically only Parrying their own weight, and in the recent earthquake area, I understand, there are 4£in partitions carrying more than one story. If this is true it simply meant there was only an outside shell to stand .the earthquake, with heavy floors on top. . . . There are no heavy projecting cornices or overhangings. I noticed it was mentioned that all schools should have two doors. I may point out that this new type of classroom opens direct to the outside by a door on either side, whereas the ordinary room opens into corridors and may easily become congested during a panic.”

Mr Moore said there could be no -question about the material and workmanship, and that was a bigger factor than the ordinary layman was aware of. He trusted that the board and school? committee would not be stampeded or influenced by the natural nervous state of everyone to scrap the present work on the Central School.