Practical Seismic Strengthening of a Specialist Care Facility

Hampton Jones was engaged to deliver seismic assessment and strengthening services for a multi‑building facility in Whangarei for Stand Tū Māia. They are a charitable trust that provides specialist community services, supporting children and families facing significant challenges, working with more than 2,000 whānau each year and reaching over 6,000 individual family members across Aotearoa. This new centre strengthens Stand Tū Māia’s ability to deliver life‑changing outcomes for Whangārei and the wider Northland region, providing a purpose‑built environment that supports their holistic model of care. The site comprised six structures, including the primary building and ancillary buildings for therapy, recreation, and accommodation. 

The project required a clear understanding of structural condition, seismic performance, and ground behaviour. The objective was to achieve compliance with current New Zealand seismic standards while delivering a cost‑effective and low‑disruption outcome for the building owner. 

An Initial Seismic Assessment was undertaken across all six buildings to establish their relative seismic risk. The assessment identified two buildings that achieved less than 67 per cent of the New Building Standard, classifying them as earthquake-prone.  A Detailed Seismic Assessment was then completed for these buildings in accordance with NZSEE and MBIE guidelines. This allowed a more detailed understanding of their lateral load capacity and expected seismic behaviour, providing a robust technical basis for decision‑making.  Ground conditions were carefully assessed as part of the overall seismic risk profile. The relative height variation across the site was also less than a typical building's length, meaning overall stability risks, such as overturning, were unlikely, and limited ground settlement was anticipated. 

Based on the Detailed Seismic Assessment findings, our team developed targeted and practical strengthening solutions tailored to each structure. The focus was on addressing identified vulnerabilities rather than implementing unnecessary upgrades. These interventions successfully increased the seismic rating of both buildings to at least 67 per cent NBS, removing their earthquake‑prone classification. The approach balanced life‑safety requirements with construction cost and minimised disruption to ongoing site operations. 

The project demonstrates Hampton Jones’ capability to deliver seismic assessments for complex existing buildings and to develop evidence‑based strengthening solutions. It also highlights the value of integrating structural engineering, building surveying, and quantity surveying services to align technical compliance with commercial and operational outcomes.