Stewart Dawson building at 222 High Street

Images, UC QuakeStudies

The Stewart Dawson building on the corner of High and Cashel Streets, in 2009 before the earthquakes.

The rear end of 146 High Street with cars

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Colour photograph of a red brick building that is the rear of 146 High Street, with cars parked beside it. Photographed before the earthquakes.

Seismic upgrading - meeting the economic challenge

Research Papers, Lincoln University

The Building Act 2004 now requires Territorial Authorities (TAs) to have in place a policy setting out how they intend making existing buildings that would be unable to withstand a moderate earthquake safe for their occupiers. Many of the resultant policies developed by TAs have put in place mandatory upgrade requirements that will force owners to expend large amounts of capital on seismic upgrading of their buildings. The challenge for the property owners and TAs alike is to make such development work economic or the result will be wide scale demolition of old buildings. This has serious implications for both heritage conservation and inner city revitalisation plans that are based on existing heritage buildings. This paper sets out the issues and challenges for the seismic upgrading of buildings in New Zealand and puts forward some potential solutions