Nelson's Christ Church Cathedral to undergo quake safety x-ray testing

A recent survey showed parts of Nelson's Christ Church cathedral only meets 25 per cent of building standards.

Nelson's cathedral will need to be x-rayed to determine its earthquake rating and another Nelson church requires significant strengthening to meet national standards.
Nelson Diocesan Trust Board chair John Fitchett said an initial assessment had showed parts of the historic Christ Church Cathedral's nave and transepts only scored 25 per cent of the earthquake building standards.

A building needs to be at least 33 per cent of the New Building Standard to achieve an acceptable rating. Fitchett said a sign was put up at the cathedral's entrance at the Nelson City Council's request, warning that the structure was currently deemed to be earthquake prone.

However, Fitchett said engineers had advised that visitors to the cathedral shouldn't be "unduly concerned" about their safety.

MARTIN DE RUYTER

Vicar Simon Martin at All Saints Church in Vanguard St, where seismic strengthening being done to the church.

He said a detailed engineering assessment of the church was not possible in the short term because the original plans of the nave did not show its structural elements.
He was optimistic a more detailed investigation would confirm the cathedral's earthquake rating to be higher than initially assessed.
The church's tower had been looked at and it scored "tangibly higher" than the required minimum of 33 per cent, he said.
Nelson Diocesan Trust Board trustee David Allpress said experts from outside of Nelson were needed to make x-rays of the cathedral as part of the detailed engineering assessment, and it would take time to organise everything.
Due to the lack of detailed plans, the x-rays would confirm whether or not the cathedral had greater structural elements - such as steel - as reinforcements, he said.
"We are already in discussion to progress this as diligently as we can."
Allpress said the board expected   the survey would clarify what, if any, strengthening needed to be done.
Allpress said the board had commenced the process of earthquake strengthening the cathedral before being asked to do so.
"We love our cathedral and want to ensure that it'll be looked after."
He said the cathedral could  be eligible for some financial support in the form of grants if it turned out the building did require arthquake strengthening.
Nelson's cathedral isn't the only place of worship working to make its building safer. All Saints Church hopes to finish earthquake strengthening its Vanguard St site before the end of the year.
Grant Hunt Building Consultants project manager David Gray said they had strengthened the church's foundations and replaced the floor with a new concrete slab and water-heated flooring.
All Saints Church vicar Simon Martin said the 2011 Christchurch earthquake served as a wake-up call to make the church a safer place.
"The engineers told us quite clearly we need to do work on this property.
"So we got on with the work knowing that it would need to be done in the forseeable future.
"We simply got on with it in a pro-active sense."
Martin said the total cost of the three-month project was $300,000 and was scheduled to finish early December.
The entire cost was to be funded by the church's 200-strong parish over the next several years, he said.

 http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/85789338/Nelsons-Christ-Church-Cathedral-to-undergo-quake-safety-x-ray-testing