Client: Hampton Jones

Contractor: Hawkins Construction

Status: Completed 2015

110 Hutt Road is an industrial building in central Wellington that was seismically assessed by Novare Design in 2013 and found to be ‘Earthquake Prone’ under the New Zealand Building Act. The percent of new building standards (%NBS) for the building was estimated to be 24% due to the potential for progressive failure of the lateral load resisting system or even sudden collapse under severe seismic loading.
 
Novare Design was engaged by Hampton Jones to provide structural design services both for the seismic upgrade of the building, and for building alterations. The building consists of a 3-storey concrete framed office, a large double height workshop with mezzanine floor at the South end and a wide cantilevering front canopy. Building alterations were required so that the building, formerly used as a mechanic’s workshop, could be used as a bus depot. Proposed alterations included enclosing the canopy structure, constructing a new vehicle inspection pit and constructing new stairs to the mezzanine level.
 
Seismic strengthening was designed so the building would be able to resist higher seismic loads and so that a sudden, brittle mechanism of failure could be avoided. Strengthening work included the addition of new sprayed concrete shear walls between existing concrete columns and a new horizontal steel truss below the second floor to improve the strength and stiffness of the floor diaphragm. Novare Design completed the project on time, on budget and to the high-quality standards we are known for.