$2 billion worth of upgrades to make them safer in an earthquake, a report recommends.
Thousands of unreinforced buildings in New Zealand need at least
$2 billion worth of upgrades to make them safer in an earthquake, a report recommends.
Forty of the 181 people killed in the February quake died because of the failure of such buildings, according to the report for the Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission.
The buildings are among 3867 in the country held together with lime or cement mortar and no reinforcing steel and are valued collectively at about $1.5 billion.
The report released on Thursday says all such buildings should be upgraded so the public is protected from falling hazards such as chimneys, parapets and gable ends.
These elements should be improved to the same standard as required in new buildings, it says.
The report was prepared for the Royal Commission by Associate Professor Jason Ingham, of Auckland University, and Professor Michael Griffith from the University of Adelaide.
Associate Professor Ingham says in some small towns, the entire main street will be unreinfocred masonry buildings. He says the first priority should be to secure or remove features that can be a hazard.
