How structural engineering gave Wellington’s largest office building a new lease on life

Written by

15 April 2024

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4 min read

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When a seismic assessment put the Asteron Centre at risk of an ‘earthquake-prone’ declaration, New Zealand Consulting Engineers were called in to find a solution.
The Asteron Centre is Wellington's largest single-office building, located directly across from the bustling Wellington Train Station.
Daniel Lehn, Commercial Manager at NZCEL.
"The success for us was that we were able to get a building that was on the verge of being declared earthquake-prone to achieve a 100% NBS after completion of the strengthening works."
"At the roof level the steel plates had to increase to 12mm and 16mm thickness, with a large 1500mm deep and 850mm wide concrete collar installed around the core of the building to allow for the diaphragm forces to be transferred into the core."
Protection of life is the backbone of New Zealand’s building design codes, and without appropriately designed structures, the country is exposed to significant risk. With NZCEL's solution, the Asteron Centre is now a safe environment for its inhabitants.