REPAIRS AT KEW HOSPITAL

Southland Times, Issue 24004, 20 December 1939, Page 8

REPAIRS AT KEW HOSPITAL

WHOLE BLOCK TO BE REROOFED FIBROLITE REPLACES SLATES BUILDING MUST ALSO BE STRENGTHENED A decision to proceed with the repairs to the public hospital at Kew, which was damaged by fire on August 1, in accordance with the requirements of the Health Department was reached at the monthly meeting of the Southland Hospital Board yesterday. This involves the reroofing with fibrolite of the whole of the patients’ block and the strengthening of the building to make it earthquake-resisting. The undamaged slate roofs of the two wings will have to be removed and replaced with fibrolite—a decision of the department that caused dismay among members of the board at yesterday’s meeting. It is estimated that the cost of replacing the slates with fibrolite and strengthening the building will be about £BBOO, less the value of the slates removed. This amount is about £2OO greater than the cost -of simply restoring the damaged portion to its original condition. When the subject was raised at the meeting the chairman, Mr T. Golden, asked whether members wished to go into committee. Mr Walter Clark said that, the board should remain in open meeting so that the public would know the true position. “We have been blamed for the hold-up in repairing the building,” he said. After the secretary had outlined the negotiations that had taken place between the board and the department, the chairman again asked if the board wished to go into committee, and on a vote being taken it was decided to remain in open board. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED A report from the secretary, Mr A. M. Williams, stated that at a special meeting of the board on November 7 the chairman, architect and secretary were authorized to go to Wellington to discuss with the Health Department proposals to replace the roof in its original form, and to inquire about the possibility of obtaining slates in New Zealand or of importing them. The following proposals were to be submitted: (1) Replacement of the damaged portion with slates. (2) The northern side in slates and the back in fibrolite. (3) A fibrolite roof over the whole of the in-patient block with the addition of a parapet. On November 2, stated the secretary, the board received a telegram saying that the building would require strengthening- irrespective of the type of roof and suggesting that representatives of the board should go to Wellington to discuss the position. In reporting on the visit of the chairman, architect and himself to Wellington, Mr Williams stated that before meeting the department they decided: (a) to endeavour to obtain approval for a scheme for repairing the roof by slates, that was, to place the roof in its original condition; (b) in view of the architect’s report of March 20, 1931, setting out proposals for strengthening for earthquake precautions, to endeavour to obtain approval of (a) without the necessity of any further strengthening of the building; (c) to discuss any alternative proposals; and (d) in any proposal decided upon to reach finality before leaving Wellington. ' OBJECTION TO SLATES Dr L. C. McNickle, formerly superintendent of the Southland Hospital and now inspector of hospitals for the Health Department, stated at the conference that the department strongly favoured the concrete flat roof, but in view of the extra cost involved over other types would consider alternative schemes, said the secretary’s report. Slates were not considered successful in Southland, maintenance costs were too high and the department would not approve of this construction. Whatever the type of roof the building would require strengthening. The concrete piers at present in the building were declared to be useless, and appeared by their construction to have been built simply as a matter of form. In 1931, continued the report, the architect submitted certain proposals for earthquake precautions in the building construction. The department had finally approved the plans and specifications and in view of this the board considered that adequate provision had been made, and that further strengthening, if insisted upon, appeared to be somewhat unreasonable. Extensive correspondence had been conducted with the Public Works Department and the following facts were elicited:

(1) The present building is not earth-quake-resisting. (2) The present building would never carry a further story. (3) Strengthening would be insisted upon for any type of roof. (4) The building would not even safely carry the parapet proposed for the fibrolite roof. Strengthening would be insisted upon.

(5) At the time the plans were prepared the department was not competent to give a final decision about earthquake precautions. Since 1933 the Public Works Department has taken control of constructional methods and final approval had since then rested with it. FIBROLITE WANTED After further discussion it was decided that the department would approve a fibrolite roof over the whole of the in-patient block, subject to the following conditions: (1) The Public Works Department to approve the type of parapet and method of tying to the present building; (2) the building to be strengthened by reinforced pillars. This scheme would cost approximately £lBOO less than a concrete flat roof and £2OO more than repairing in slates. However, the slates removed would have a saleable value, and taking this into consideration, a fibrolite roof would be the cheapest. The question of supplies of fibrolite was discussed and arrangements made for import licences and overseas funds. “Members will be surprised at the facts stated about the strength of the building,” said the secretary’s report. “In fairness to the Health Department it should be stated that numerous reports of a technical nature were obtained from the Public" Works Department These reports, in very definite terms, set out the defects of the pre-

sent building, particularly from a constructional viewpoint,, and the means necessary to make it reasonably earthquake resistant. It would appear that a fibrolite roof as proposed will cost approximately £BBOO. This figure includes the cost of strengthening pillars, but does not include the value of slates which would be salvaged.” PLANS FOR ADDITIONS In a further reference to the visit to Wellington the secretary said that in the course of conversations it was stated that the department had drawn up plans for additions to both wings, and a copy had been handed to the architect, Mr A. C. Ford. It was stated during the conversations that Southland was not well catered for in the number of available beds, and that for its size and population, the present facilities were the most inadequate in New Zealand. Mr Ford submitted sketch plans, and in reply to a question said that he was not altogether in favour of slates. It should be understood that the department was concerned not so much with the present building as with what would be required in a few years. Mr W. M. Norman: That has nothing to do with the roof. Dr J. A. Pottinger: It all hinges on what repairs we propose to make. I think the board would be well advised to adopt the extension plan, although we have not had time to,consider it. Mr O. Smith: According to the department, Kew Hospital, which has been built only a few years, is now out of date. Mr Ford said that the department did not suggest that it was out of date, but believed that extensions should be made. Mr G. A. Wraytt: The board’s representatives went to Wellington about the roof, not extensions. Mr Ford: The department suggested a roof that would fit in with future extensions. Dr Pottinger said he thought the slates were vetoed because when they were taken off the Dee street hospital they crumpled in. the hand. There must be slates and slates —some of them would last for years. Whether the climate affected them or not he did not know. Mr Wraytt asked what it would cost to strip off the slates and replace them with fibrolite. Mr Ford replied that the balance was in favour of slates. DISAPPOINTED AND VEXED Mr Norman: What I object to is having to use fibrolite instead of slates. To have to pull down those roofs seems a scandal. The wings do not need touching, but to put on fibrolite means pulling the whole thing to pieces. I am very disappointed and vexed, but I don’t suppose we can do anything about it. Dr Pottinger said it should be made clear that the plans were first passed in 1931. Since then, for very good reasons probably, new regulations had been issued. He took it that the board was entirely in the hands of the Public Works Department. If so the board could do only what it was told. The chairman said that when the plans were drawn up the Government did not have experts examining them as it did now. He was disappointed to learn that in addition to making the repairs they had to strengthen the building. He thought they had the only earthquake-resisting building in Southland.

Mr O. Smith: The earthquakes we get here are only infinitesimal.

Dr Pottinger: If we wait long enough we will have to put up a bomb-proof roof, as they are doing in England. The secretary said that the deputation went to Wellington strongly of the opinion that they should proceed with slates, but the department was against it. The only way they could get on with the roof was to replace the slates with fibrolite.

Dr Pottinger asked whether it would be wise to approve the sketch plans when everything was in the air. Mr Ford said that the idea of the department was to modernize the building. It was rather early to approve or disapprove of the sketch plans. The actions of the board’s deputation that visited Wellington were approved.