'QUAKE SAFETY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 253, 17 June 1932, Page 7

'QUAKE SAFETY

borinfg OP holes STREN GTHENING WORK UPON POWER BOARD BUILDING. NEARING COMPLETION. The building operations that have been in progress on the. Bay of Plenty Power Board building will shortly be .completed. These strengthening and reinforcing operations have been carried out with a view to increasing th'e safety of the building in case of earthquake. The work has been very heavy, as the piers and girders used are old railway rails weighing 501b to the yard. • •• The building is, now completCy enoircled wtih two. bands of these rails at different heights, each band being fastened to uprights- and also to large iron- plates inside the walls by means of stifrup-irons. After, these piers and girders are in place they are all heavily concreted. •This has - necessitated a ehipping away of the very hard concrete face on the outer walls, the boring of holes througli walls in some cases 14 to 22 inches thick, and for this purpose the contractor has been eompeiled -te use an eiectric drill. . (In addition to this, two concrete pillars have- been- built in the front of the building, and the verandah has been lowered to rest on a 12 by 4 inch beam. To do this,- the contractor has had to remove the heavy plate-glass , windows and cut and replace them. The somewhat prominent briclc top at back and front has also been re-moved-and is now being . replastered. , A new and very welcome addition, from the publie's point of view will ,be the new cashier's office on the ground floor, obviating the necessity ■of climbing the stairs as at present.