QUAKE RISK.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20277, 11 April 1934, Page 5

QUAKE RISK.

Proposed Alterations to Fire Station. ARCHITECT'S REPORT. The advisability of making alterations to the Christchurch Fire Station to provide adequate safeguard against earthquake risk was again discussed at a meeting of the Christchurch Fire Board last evening, following the receipt of a letter from Mr J. S. Guthrie, v.ho had been appointed by the board to submit a report. The provisional cost submitted by Mr Guthrie was £240 After consideration, the board deferred its decision until its next meeting. Mr Guthrie wrote stating that he had inspected the building as to its stability in case of an earthquake. He could not recommend much regarding the buildings owing to their construction of brick walls and timber floors. It would not be a great safeguard if the ceiling over the engine house (social hall floor) were strengthened and tied securely to the walls, he added. If there happened to be a severe shake the floor might collapse on top of the whole plant. The cost had not been gone into, but if it was the wish of the board he would do so. He strongly recommended reducing the height of the parapets in Lichfield Street and suggested that the semicircular pediment over the main doors be removed entirely and the parapets made 2ft 9in low'er over the main doors. The parapets on either side of the main entrance should be reduced 2ft, the projecting cornices should be cut off to within 2in of the face of brickwork and bands formed of cement mortar. Dealing w ? ith the chimney shafts, Mr Guthrie recommended taking off all projections, forming caps to them and finishing them off with neat plain caps. The estimated cost for erecting all the scaffolding, removing the pediment, parapets and cornices would be about £l7O, and the cost of removing all caps to the chimneys (24) about £7O.