Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Engineering expert gives evidence at EQRC

Updated at 4:11 pm on 24 July 2012

A civil engineering expert has contradicted evidence he gave earlier to the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission into the collapse of the CTV building in February 2011.

John Mander is into his second day of evidence into the collapse in which 115 people were killed.

Professor Mander told the commission on Monday that building assessors were right to green sticker the CTV building after the September earthquake.

But on Tuesday, under cross examination, he contradicted that.

He told Justice Cooper that the CTV building would have "met its Waterloo" after the September earthquake.

Professor Mander was formally warned by a lawyer on Tuesday of his obligations in giving evidence to the commission.

Earlier, Mr Mander outlined the post-quake building assessment process that he says Christchurch City Council should have carried out.

Professor Mander said the council should have had 'indicator' buildings around the city to show how different styles of buildings responded to the earthquake stresses.

He also said any problematic buildings should have had a more detailed Level 2 rapid assessment, which would have included a thorough plan inspection.

Professor Mander said an examination of the CTV drawings and a closer look inside would have gone a long way to avoid the deaths caused when it collapsed.

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