Earthquake simulation pressure tests have been conducted on a block of state houses to help with future strengthening work on earthquake-prone buildings.
The 1950s four-unit building had been condemned and was on a street in Upper Hutt where many now vacant Housing New Zealand buildings are boarded up awaiting demolition.
Testing was carried out on this building. Photo: RNZ
Housing Minister Nick Smith said on Monday it is the first time destructive earthquake testing has been carried out on a two-storey building in New Zealand.
Housing New Zealand plans to invest more than $44 million over the next three years to strengthen and refurbish about 150 of its buildings throughout the country.
Its board chair, Allan Freeth, says the tests will give a much more accurate view of the strength of the buildings.
"What we've learned from Christchurch is that while a lot of the numbers that come up in ratings - while they've been a good indication of the strength of buildings - you don't really know until you've really tested it."
The best data is gathered by simulating a real quake and the experiment will not only inform a lot of the work done by engineers, but will be published as a scientific paper.
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