Industry Updates Building Controls Update 

BC Update 213: MBIE releases Statistics House Investigation Report

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On 31 March 2017 Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith released the Independent Panel’s investigation report into the performance of Statistics House. The report focuses on the design, construction and land influences on the performance of Wellington’s Statistics House during the 14 November Kāikoura earthquake.
It found a combination of four factors contributed to the partial failure of lower floor segments.

Two of the factors – the flexible frames and style of floor construction – combined with significant shaking for up to 120 seconds, and localised amplification of the shaking, to compromise the support of the lower precast concrete floor units.

The Panel also noted that the combination of factors that led to the partial collapse of floor units in Statistics House was not anticipated by the design standards in place when it was built in 2005.

MBIE, the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), and IPENZ technical societies have produced information for owners and building professionals responsible for assessing and designing multi-storey concrete moment resisting frame buildings with precast concrete floor systems that may be vulnerable to loss of floor support during an earthquake.

The report and questions and answers are available on Statistics House Investigation on the MBIE Corporate website.

Framed buildings with precast concrete floor systems provides information for owners and building professionals.

Read the Minister’s announcement on the Parliament website

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