Significant damage at city event facilities

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Engineers for the Christchurch City Council are recommending the earthquake-damaged Christchurch Convention Centre and the Hadlee Stand at AMI Stadium be demolished, as evaluations progress at AMI Stadium, the Christchurch Town Hall for the Performing Arts and the Christchurch Convention Centre.

Final decisions on the future of the facilities will not be made until the assessments have been completed, peer reviewed and the outcomes agreed with insurers. An update this morning to the Council from structural and geotechnical engineers gave some indications of what those outcomes might include. They indicated the Christchurch Convention Centre and the Hadlee Stand at AMI Stadium had suffered severe damage. They are recommending demolition of these two buildings, however more time is required to complete assessments at all three event facilities.

Councillor Sue Wells says the assessment process is a huge undertaking and it is likely to be some months before decisions are made.

"The Council is working closely with insurers as these evaluations progress, and while our engineers have indicated their recommendations for some of the buildings involved, decisions on the future of the facilities are still some months away.

"I understand that our community is eager to find out more about the future of our event facilities and we want to ensure they are part of the process of moving our city forward. We have promised to keep residents informed as the work progresses and these latest reports have only been viewed by the Council this morning. We will continue to provide the very latest updates to the community as soon as the information becomes available."

Today's update outlined the lastest information on the three facilities:

AMI Stadium

* The Hadlee Stand has suffered severe earthquake damage and engineers for the Council are recommending it be demolished.

* Re-levelling and other repairs are required on the Tui Stand at the southern end of the stadium.

* More work is required to establish the best outcomes for the Paul Kelly Stand and the Deans Stand. Both have dropped around 300-400mm as a result of the earthquakes. The floors of both stands are uneven, with the floor height of the Paul Kelly Stand varying up to 70mm and the floor height of the Deans Stand varying up to 300mm. Engineers are still working to establish what the most appropriate repair method would be. One method of repair, if it is possible, could require driving piles down 25 metres to reach solid ground.

* Assessments on what is required to repair the turf and associated stormwater and irrigation are ongoing.

Cr Wells says the scale of the re-levelling required on the Tui, Paul Kelly and Deans stands has never been undertaken before in New Zealand and is rare around the world. "Engineers are working now to determine the best method of repair and to establish the costs involved," she says.

"In the meantime the Council is still working with the Canterbury Rugby Football Union on finding an alternative home for rugby in Christchurch. At this stage we can confirm that the stadium will not be available for the 2012 season and we will continue working with everyone involved."

Once the engineering assessments have been completed, peer reviewed and costed, negotiations with insurers will be able to be progressed. These full reports are expected to be presented to the Council in October.

Christchurch Convention Centre

Engineers for the Council believe the Christchurch Convention Centre has suffered so much damage that it should be demolished. The outcome for the building has not yet been settled with insurers but discussions are progressing and an agreement expected soon.

Christchurch Town Hall for the Performing Arts

The main damage to the Town Hall has been caused by land movement rather than structural problems as a result of shaking during the earthquake. The ground has settled and lateral spread has shifted the foundations of the building, with some parts of the building moving 150mm toward the river. The level of the floor in the auditorium now varies by up to 450mm.

Assessments into what is required to repair the building are ongoing, with outcomes expected in November this year.

ENDS

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