Quake prone preschool shut down

[Suezy]

Quake-prone preschool shut down
Last updated 19:35 26/03/2012

Christchurch Earthquake 2011 Clock tower has another chance Red-zoner touched by kind act More clients prefer cash to rebuild Halswell project costs fall by $2m Experts offer free quake stress relief Why target the elderly? Govt steps up home supply Small shake rattles Christchurch Tsunami of workers headed to city Belfast centre to come down
A Bishopdale preschool has today become the latest casualty of ongoing aftershocks.

The Christchurch City Council has closed the Bishopdale Community preschool, in Bishopdale Mall, until further notice.

A Detailed Engineering Evaluation (DEE) revealed the 1974 building was earthquake-prone and recommended it should not be occupied.

The council is undertaking DEEs of all 1600 council-owned buildings as part of its Facilities Rebuild Plan.

A DEE comprises a thorough assessment of the level of damage to a building and an estimation of the building's capacity to withstand future earthquakes.

This is expressed as a percentage of the New Building Standard, under which a building is considered to be earthquake-prone if its seismic capacity is less than 34 per cent.

The council will close all of its buildings that score below 34 per cent.

Council community services general manager Michael Aitken said the DEE assessment showed the preschool building scored just 20 per cent of the standard

Aitken said staff visited the preschool today to talk to management and distribute letters to parents.

"We know that this will be upsetting for many families, but the safety of those using the facility is our priority and we must ensure they are not put at risk in the event of future earthquakes.''

The two-storey Bishopdale Community Centre and Library on nearby Farrington Ave was closed indefintely in November because of earthquake damage.

Copied from the Press.
Head some more today when discussing the Town Hall and the Convention centre which have to come down - that  they have ducks swimming in and out the Town Hall from the large fountain area in the front of the town hall.  About two feet of water in the town hall in one part of it.  Told by a contractor that was here today - but not been reported.

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[Sara]

If this keeps up nothinmg will be left. Shame.