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Seismic strengthening solutions for Adelphi House, Wellington

Client

Lake Geneva Investment

Description

Adelphi House is a seven-storey heritage building in Wellington’s Courtenay Place Heritage Area. We developed an economical and sympathetic seismic strengthening scheme to satisfy 100% of New Building Standards and maximised the building’s heritage and prime location.

Expertise

Seismic and structural engineering

Project Completion

2014

Total project value

Around $2 million

Adelphi House is a seven-storey heritage building in the prime Courtenay Place Heritage Area in Wellington.

To satisfy 100% of New Building Standards and allow its potential to be maximised, it required an economical and sympathetic seismic strengthening scheme. The building needed to be strengthened internally because any changes to its façade would affect its original appearance.

Our work

Our seismic engineers investigated the structure and the materials used for the original construction, and conducted international research into the behaviour of old, riveted structural steel connections under seismic loading. They also studied the seismic performance of the building, including the probability of soil liquefaction.

Next they designed a unique structural engineering solution for each of the seven stories to strengthen and preserve the heritage value of the building while providing refurbished, modern office and retail space.

The solution included: providing steel jackets to the existing columns; two new internal composite columns; the introduction of cross bracing; and strengthened foundations to comply with current earthquake engineering standards.

Result

Our work on Adelphi House resulted in a cost effective, bespoke and successful solution. Given its prime location in Courtenay Place, our client could successfully market a building that meets 100% of the New Building Standard in a desirable CBD heritage area.