An EBSS report ‘Don’t mention the law’, on MBIE’s proposed regulations and methodology for identifying earthquake prone buildings, shows that the Chief Executive, David Smol, intends to flout a landmark Supreme Court decision.

The law provides that the earthquake prone building test is against performance in a defined moderate earthquake. The Supreme Court, in a 2014 decision, ruled that the test earthquake must be a moderate earthquake, and not any more severe event. This ruling has been ignored in the methodology, where the effective test is some undefined severe earthquake.

“This ‘severe earthquake’ test and other manipulations means that buildings can be designated as earthquake prone when they clearly are not”, said Ian Harrison Chair of EBSS. “Engineers were told in their briefing document that assessed seismic ratings should never match the actual capacity of the building”.

The report recommends that engineers be required to sign an attestation that an earthquake prone building meets the specific performance test required by law.

“MBIE’s regime is grossly over engineered,” said Harrison. “There is an issue with unreinforced masonry buildings in more seismically active areas, but the real risks can be addressed quickly and relatively cheaply. We don’t have to do tens of thousands of potentially rigged assessments and then spend billions strengthening reinforced concrete and wooden buildings that are known to perform well in earthquakes”.

MBIE does not know how the regime will work and whether it will deliver consistent results, because it has not been tested. The methodology development process fells well short of minimum testing and validation standards, let alone best practice.

The report shows that the public has been systematically mislead about the real risk of so-called ‘earthquake prone’ buildings.

The New Zealand Society of Earthquake Engineering risk grading system, which is being promoted by MBIE, describes buildings as high risk, and very high risk, when they can be thousands of times safer than everyday activities such as driving or flying.Older reinforced concrete buildings performed as well as modern buildings in the Christchurch earthquake.The Wellington City Council’s website states that earthquake prone buildings can be expected to collapse in a moderate earthquake. Wellington was hit by a moderate earthquake in November 2016, but only two of nearly 700 ‘earthquake prone’ buildings had structural damage, and none collapsed. It was the modern buildings that were the big problem.

EBSS believes that engineers have breached the Fair Trading Act by making misleading statements about the need for services, and making unsubstantiated statements about risk. EBSS will be making a complaint to the Commerce Commission under the Act.

|  An EBSS release  |  February 16, 2017  ||

Leading New Zealand civil engineering and resource company, Fulton Hogan, has been recognised with a major international award for innovation.Fulton Hogan picked up the Premier Award in the Innovation Achiever’s Award category as part of the UK based Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) International Innovation and Research Awards, announced in London earlier this week.

Fulton Hogan, New Zealand Chief Executive Robert Jones, says the company is delighted with the award.

“We are proud to receive this external recognition for our overall programme to encourage and develop innovative ideas from our 6,000 strong workforce, whether it’s from the workers on the front-line or from one of our back office teams,” Mr Jones says.

Chloe Smith, Fulton Hogan’s National Innovation Manager says the company’s innovation programme has a strong industry grounding backed by more technical research where required.

“Our industry base means we’re identifying opportunities and investing in improvements suggested by our teams who are out there ‘doing it’. With the innovation grounded in the reality at the frontline, we get strong early evidence if the innovation is going to make a difference and can be applied elsewhere to improve best practice business-wide,” Ms Smith says.

“This award acknowledges the value of having an open forum for the collection and development of innovative ideas from our staff across all levels of the organisation. This year our focus will be on opening this to our customers to allow us to work on solving their problems,” she says.

Fulton Hogan faced up against teams from as far afield as Hong Kong and Malaysia to pick up the award.

The innovation programme has already contributed to gains in the areas of safety, productivity, sustainability and quality control.

For example, to help improve skid resistance on roads, Fulton Hogan developed a recycled water cutter waste system which increases job quality and safety, boosts sustainability and dramatically reduce costs.

|  A FultonHogan release  |  February 15, 2017

Building consent data released today by Statistics New Zealand shows building consents are at their highest level since 2004. However, the industry needs to readdress the way it looks at skills training if it is to meet future demand.

To the year ending December 2016, 29,970 new homes gained building consents. This is the highest number since 2004 but still well below the high of 1973 when about 40,000 new homes were consented.

Almost all regions showed good growth particularly Manawatu/Whanganui (49%), Northland (43%), Hawke’s Bay (32%), Nelson (34%) and Otago (29%). Auckland fell just short of the 10,000 mark with 9,930 consents which was a 7% increase on 2015. The only regions to have negative growth were Southland (-1%) and West Coast (-17%).

Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) Chief Executive Warwick Quinn says he expects this upward trend to continue in 2017. Quinn says this rate of construction is at New Zealand’s long-running normal rate of 6.5 builds per 1,000 people and a response to the record low rate of construction during the global financial crisis (GFC). In 2011 the build rate fell as low as 3.1 builds per 1,000. Quinn says the number of homes that weren’t built during the GFC is double the number that weren’t built during all other recessions combined and New Zealand is still playing catch-up.

While the turnaround is welcomed, Quinn says 30,000 consents per annum is the new normal based on our population, but that level does not replace the shortfall developed during the GFC. He says New Zealand built about 45,000 fewer homes over the past 10 years compared to the previous ten, yet the population grew by about 480,000.

“It is no surprise to anyone that Auckland is the worst affected with about 4-5 years of backlog based on historical build rates. Other regions have significant backlogs as well including Bay of Plenty (3.7years), Northland (2.7years) and Tasman/Marlborough (2.5 years),” says Quinn.

Quinn says that while BCITO has a record 10,000 apprentices in training more are needed to meet building demand.

“While 10,000 apprentices is a new milestone for us it is also our new normal and must be increased if we are to successfully fill the skills gap in construction,” Quinn says.

“We tend to get a surge in apprentice numbers each year from about March and it will be interesting to see if that continues in 2017,” says Quinn. “Most of our growth comes from those firms that traditionally have apprentices, but in order to get the increase in apprentice numbers that we need, we also need to increase the number of employers who train. In order to do that we need to ensure training programmes align more closely with their business and meet employees expectations”.

BCITO has been working closely with the Tertiary Education Commission and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority in order to progress this. At the end of 2016 BCITO got the go ahead to pilot an alternative skills model that is aimed at increasing the number of firms that train and attract more people into the trades. Quinn says there has never been a better time to get into construction with a strong forward work projection and great job security.

|  BCITO release  |  February 9, 2017  ||

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has appointed AECOM Singapore to conduct an advanced engineering study for Singapore stretch of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail (HSR) infrastructure, it announced on Wednesday (Feb 8).

The US engineering firm will provide architectural, civil, electrical, mechanical and other design services required for the Jurong East terminus, tunnels and the bridge across the Straits of Johor.

> > > Continue to full article

New contractors are out and about in the Capital City’s southern and eastern suburbs to keep streets and other public areas in great shape.

Wellington City Council has re-tendered and awarded the ‘road corridor’ maintenance contract for the south and east of the city to Fulton Hogan Ltd until June 2020.

Fulton Hogan and its key subcontractor, EcoMaintenance, will carry out work including resealing roads and footpaths, replacing sections of kerb and channel, trimming and spraying roadside vegetation, emptying roadside sumps, sweeping streets, removing graffiti and collecting litter.

The city’s other road maintenance contractor, Downer, covers the central city and northern and western suburbs and will continue to work in those areas until the end of June 2020.

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester says the work done by the contractors is critical to the city’s economy and wellbeing.

"It impacts on everything - our quality of life, the way we get around, how smoothly the city functions and our reputation as a great place to live and visit," he says. "That’s why we spend more than $30 million a year keeping our roads, footpaths and public areas safe, clean and functional."

Councillor Chris Calvi-Freeman, the Council’s Portfolio Leader for Transport and Operations, says maintenance and upgrade work like this can be something people take for granted, but it is a key to the city’s resilience.

"These are the people who spring into action after big storms, high seas and earthquakes -often in the middle of the night - to clear debris, repair roads, and ensure we can move about safely and easily."

Fulton Hogan is the largest privately-owned construction and civil engineering contracting company in New Zealand. The company employs more than 5500 staff in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

| A Fulton Hogan relerase  |  February 3, 2017  ||

Unprecedented infrastructure investment projections across New Zealand, Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region have prompted Tonkin + Taylor to launch a massive UK-based talent drive.

The boom years ahead are being driven by both the public and private sectors, with the New Zealand Government alone earmarking $NZ50 billion for large-scale infrastructure projects over the next 10 years. In a similar vein, the New South Wales Government has announced a $AUS20 billion plan to “turbocharge” the NSW economy.

T+T intends to stay ahead of the game and our new recruitment-focused website is already up and running at www.tonkintaylor.co.nz/careers/working-in-new-zealand

Next month our executives and recruiters head for London and the Down Under Live Job Expo, which will take place on February 25-26. Their mission is to attract star-quality engineering and science professionals to join our already exceptionally talented and internationally diverse team.

We’re inviting UK professionals thinking of a seachange to Explore + Solve + Create; to explore new horizons in New Zealand and Australia, solve exciting new infrastructure challenges and create an enviable work/life balance.

Our award-winning engineers, scientists, planners and project managers are the most critical component in ensuring our ability to continue delivering the high quality work T+T is known for. It’s vital that we attract the best of the best.

Richard Hancy, T+T’s Executive Leader of Engineering Services says that a strong economy, combined with a very positive economic outlook, has developed the perfect investment storm with both the public and private sectors investing heavily for the future.

“As a result, planning and construction related activity in transportation, commercial buildings, water infrastructure, housing and many other sectors is getting busier and busier.

“As a specialist engineering and environmental consulting firm, Tonkin + Taylor is already deeply embedded in these investment programmes, and expects that involvement to increase looking forward.”

The move aligns Tonkin + Taylor with the New Zealand Government’s long-term goal of providing resilient and coordinated infrastructure that contributes to a strong economy and high living standards. Its projected $NZ50 billion spend over the next decade includes a $NZ13.9 billion land transport programme to be commissioned by 2018, a $1.8 billion investment in local infrastructure and a further $NZ2.2 billion tagged for Crown assets associated with the Christchurch rebuild.

Further challenges and opportunities will arise as networks need expanding or renewing and cities come to grips with an ageing, increasingly urbanised population and the need for changing technologies.

To meet the increasing level of demand requires an increase in T+T’s capacity and capabilities.

Richard Hancy explains: “Now is the time for us to look beyond our traditional local markets and seek to enrich our team drawing upon the global market.

“T+T has had many successful recruits join from the UK over the years, and as a result has some great connections within the UK engineering and environmental markets. We have decided to take advantage of this, and proactively engage with the UK market to hopefully attract some new stars into our business.”

Sourcing overseas talent will not only help to address a critical shortage of engineers and scientists within New Zealand and Australia but also allow T+T to maintain a critical international perspective in a rapidly changing world.

|  A Tonkin+ Taylor news item  |  January 26, 2017  ||

Engineers are concerned about the risk that earthquake-prone buildings pose to public safety in the Wellington region, and fully support the Government’s move to compel building owners to secure facades.

New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) President Peter Smith says during this period of increased earthquake risk in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Marlborough and Hurunui, it’s important to secure facades and speed up remedial work.

"These facades need to be secured, particularly because many of them are in popular retail areas like Cuba Street, Riddiford Street and Jackson Street.

"Engineers are very conscious of the lives lost when facades collapsed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Thirty-nine people were killed and more than 100 people injured as a result of masonry falling onto footpaths and roads."

Structural Engineering Society (SESOC) President Paul Campbell says that while shorter, stiffer earthquake-prone buildings weren’t affected by the Kaikoura earthquake, they still pose a significant risk to public safety.

"Every earthquake is different - and earthquakes don’t test all buildings equally.

"On 14 November, as the earthquake waves travelled through rock away from Kaikoura, high frequency waves dissipated as heat.

"But low frequency waves experienced less resistance and reached Wellington. These low frequency waves created resonance in mid-height buildings, causing severe shaking.

"The next earthquake could be quite different and it’s important that earthquake-prone buildings are dealt with."

Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene says engineers’ key concern is public safety.

"We welcome the Government’s announcement that it will establish a fund to support building owners.

"If there is an aftershock centred closer to Wellington, securing the facades could save many lives.

"Since 14 November, there’s been fantastic industry and regulator collaboration.

"We are all working hard to improve resilience and make Wellington more prepared for whatever might come next."

|  An NZSEE release  | January 25, 2017  |

Kiwi ingenuity has seen a New Zealand owned cement company take lessons from ancient Roman concrete to create and launch a ground-breaking low-carbon footprint cement that helps reduce global CO2 emissions.

“HR CEMENT, based in Mt Maunganui, has managed to differentiate a basic commodity and develop a more environmentally friendly cement called ECO-CEM that has significant benefits when compared to standard cements,” said Chris Hall, Managing Director of HR Cement.

“ECO-CEM has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete utilised on construction sites by 15-30% and set a New Zealand benchmark for low-carbon concretes in New Zealand,” said Mr Hall.

“We looked at millennia-defying concrete mixtures used by the ancient Romans and, after applying modern cement manufacturing techniques, engineered a new cement using Pozzolan from the Central Plateau of the North Island.

Our focus when developing ECO-CEM was to produce a cement that has no downsides compared to the standard General Purpose cement available, coupled with all the clear advantages of a Pozzolanic cement, at a similar cost.

“The use of pozzolan and subsequently ECO-CEM, has significant advantages over standard concrete which are well known internationally. In comparison to standard cement, ECO-CEM gets stronger as time goes on, increases abrasion resistance, improves durability and permeability, alongside having a high resistance to the harsh climatic conditions experienced in New Zealand,” said Mr Hall.

One of ECO-CEM’s greatest strengths is that it is significantly more environmentally friendly than the existing production of Portland cement which is energy intensive and results in significant global greenhouse gas emissions.

The company’s location, being located within a volcanic field near high quality and natural Pozzolanic materials, gives HR CEMENT an economic advantage.

HR CEMENT believes ECO-CEM is a game-changer for the New Zealand concrete market as it will ultimately produce a stronger, more durable and more sustainable product,” Mr Hall said.

!  An HRCement release  |  January 24, 2017  |

Singapore Lift Company (SLC) has launched the first composite lift in the world, paving the way for the city-state to manufacture a revolutionary type of elevators...

Alister Bennett, Managing Director of Singapore Lift Company (SLC), showing the prototype lift to the media. (Photo: SLC)

Singapore Lift Company (SLC) has launched the first composite lift in the world, paving the way for the city-state to manufacture a revolutionary type of elevators in the future.

Made of lightweight and durable materials used in the aerospace sector, Formula 1 racing and deep sea exploration, this new type of lift is expected to be a game-changer in the building and construction industry.

“Composite material is not new, but its use in our lifts is groundbreaking,” said Alister Bennett, Managing Director of SLC, a joint venture between Far East Organization, Woh Hup and Pronus (HK).

Called 8, the prototype lift was largely assembled offsite, significantly reducing the time and labour needed in the installation. The easy installation also means less reliance on specialised labour, a boon for the lift sector, which is facing a shortage of engineers and technicians.

Moreover, it does not need expensive construction of deep pits and high overheads, and the cabin space can be made spacious due to maximisation of the shaft size and minimisation of the overhead and pit. It also requires fewer construction materials, with the prototype’s cabin weighing just 150kg, compared to about 1,500kg for a traditional lift with a similar capacity.

“We see great potential for our product in the building and construction industry as well as the retro-fitting industry... While traditional lifts require on average five to seven days for the installation of a single floor, with 8, the time will be shortened considerably to a minimum of one floor per day,” Bennett noted.

However, he told Channel NewsAsia that the new lift is not suitable for buildings with a height of more than 20 storeys. “We are initially setting a target of eight (floors) and that’s why this launch is called 8. When we get better, we’ll work to get higher ... but we will never be able to do high-rise lifts because the higher and faster you go, the lifts need to be heavier.”

While the composite lift industry here is still in its fledgling stages, SLC intends to develop this sector by leveraging on the existing expertise and capabilities of Singapore’s highly-skilled workforce.

|  A ChannelNewsAsia release|  January 12, 2017  |

Immersive Construction with guest writer Alison Crady

Immersive reality technology has exploded throughout 2016, with more creative uses invented every day. Many huge corporations are placing massive investments in its development. According to ABI Research predictions, immersive reality will balloon into a $100-billion-dollar industry by 2020.

The exciting technology can be broken down into three distinct categories: Mixed Reality (MR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR). The Microsoft’s HoloLens is a great, recent example of mixed reality, which is a split combination of reality and the virtual world. Augmented reality uses “markers” to add pieces of virtual information within the known world. And then there’s virtual reality which fully immerses users into an alternate world.

Whether you’re creating safer training scenarios, developing project blueprints, working out technical issues or showing off a completed project, immersive technologies will take construction to a new level of efficiency and effectiveness. Though immersive devices are still very early in commercial development stages, experts and industry leaders are grasping on. Because when you can change the way you see the world, you can change the world you see.

HOLOLENSES HEADSET MASTER MIXED REALITY

Perhaps one of the most exciting, user-friendly pieces talked about this year has just been released. Microsoft has been working all year to produce the HoloLens headset, which noticeably resembles a StarTrek device. This wireless headset hit the market just in time for 2016 Christmas gifts. Though with a $3,000 price tag, only a privileged few will find one wrapped beneath the tree.

The headset resembles two rings of a 3D solar system, which unfold in concentric circles. The first, inner circle rests around your head and uses a bicycle-helmet-style ratcheting dial to tighten it securely. The front sticks to your forehead, and the back rests below the backside of your skull.

Users interact with their environment by making specific changes with their index finger. Journalists with early-release experiences noted some user inconvenience due to the precise index finger movement and overall headset discomfort. But at the end of the day, it lets you add the virtual world to your current reality, completely transforming the world you see. Comfortable or not, that’s pretty amazing.

DEVELOPERS PRODUCE AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES

Using “markers” AR glasses allow users to note ultra-specific adjustments in real time and space. Participants add pieces of virtual information to the known environment. Google glass has already begun providing AR glasses for military uses. But the goal is to branch out into enterprise customers within the year.

DAQRI, a California-based company, has a mission to create the most powerful AR platform humanly possible. They made a huge push forward with their smart helmet, which has great construction project application. It can accurately be described as a visionary tool for the 21st century worker.

Using AR glasses, field workers can find enhanced solutions. Entire repair manuals can be displayed before their eyes during technical difficulties. DAQRI’s smart helmet greatly improve efficiency with an enhanced degree of situational awareness. The glasses could easily be used in construction helmets, opening up the next level of project possibilities.

BETA-TESTING FOR VIRTUAL REALITY EXPANDS AND EXCITES

Completely surrounding and all-encompassing environments are possible with VR. Single-users can don a device which allows them to move within a virtual scene. Using kinesthesia and proprioception, the device can track the direction of motion distinct from the direction of eye gaze. While the range of view will vary according the device, participants will be able to turn around, look up and down and see a complete environment, known as virtual reality.

Several construction companies, such as PCL Construction Services and Sellen Construction, have begun beta-testing VR uses onsite using a new product from a Seattle startup called Context VR. It’s a mobile app that contractors can use for as-built records, remote walk-throughs, progress reports, estimating, safety training and facility management. By simply uploading engineering drawings or floor plans as PDF, app users can “walk through” the space, taking photos from a 360-degree camera.

This startup is just one example of the many ways VR can transcend the construction industry. Using VR can help construction workers discover new ways to envision projects. They can allow potential buyers and investors to explore first-hand the new environment without needing to be present in the exact location.

The Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) is another great virtual reality technique with direct application for construction. Firms such as the Boston-based Suffolk Construction have begun using this technique for immersive experiences through mid-construction project sites. This ability has greatly cut down on time and costs due to a reduced number of changes requested mid-project.

THE RAPIDLY EMERGING STARTREK DREAM WORLD

If you grew up watching futuristic series such as the Star Wars or Star Trek phenomenon, then the emerging immersive technology will seem familiar. We are entering a whole new phase of possibilities with our technological advances.

At this point, it’s more about the price range and its wide-spread availability. Companies such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft are constantly exploring new ways to fully utilize immersive reality. Emerging headsets, interactive hand controllers and movement sensors will revolutionize the entire construction process.

Developing construction firms should take note. Not only could safety be significantly improved through enhanced off-site training scenarios, but also the production and display of commercial projects can significantly improve. Designers, contractors and architects will be able to make better decisions, earlier on. While there’s a high ticket price, VR, AR, and MR are here to stay.

| An MSCNewsWire Guest Post by Alison Crady from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |  Friday 23 December 2016  |