Have your say on TS1170.5, to help lead the way for new practices in seismic engineering

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Submissions closed: 03 April 2024, 12am

Have your say on the draft Technical Specification for Structural design actions – Part 5: Earthquake actions – New Zealand (TS1170.5) which focuses on providing updated engineering guidance to determine earthquake loadings when designing new buildings.

We are seeking feedback from across the engineering, building and property sectors on this draft Technical Specification in development with Standards New Zealand, whose robust process uses the skills, knowledge and experience of a committee of technical experts from across the building industry.

Developed to address the outcomes of the NSHM

In October 2022 GNS Science published the updated National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM). The NSHM, calculates the likelihood and strength of earthquake shaking that may occur in different parts of Aotearoa/New Zealand over specified time periods. It is used to improve our resilience and manage risks to safety, security and the economy from seismic events.

TS 1170.5 looks to expand on learnings gained since the publication of both the updated NSHM and the existing building code compliant standard NZS 1170.5:2004. The current standard, sponsored through Building Performance (the building regulator), is used by structural engineers to assess and calculate the forces and deformations from earthquakes acting on structures such as buildings and other structures. It helps engineers design structures that comply with the New Zealand Building Code’s earthquake resistance requirements.

Building Performance website(external link)

NZS 1170.5:2004 remains the referenced standard for compliance with the New Zealand Building Code. However, TS 1170.5 aims to provide a means for engineers to voluntarily test, and put into practice, new technical specifications within the context of the updated NSHM. Technical specifications developed through Standards New Zealand follow international good practice in developing consensus-agreed industry-led guidance, and here a technical specification provides a quicker solution in a rapidly changing environment, allowing for ‘road testing’ before potential integration in a subsequent development of a standard.

Last updated: 13 March 2024