SERVICES

Earthquake Engineering
Using state-of-the-art software and expert knowledge our seismic
engineers provide services for commercial and industrial sites, portfolios of
investment and governments. We provide customised solutions for seismic
engineering challenges.

STRUCTURE TYPES
Our earthquake engineers provide solutions for a wide range of structures and equipment including:
+ Commercial buildings + Tall towers
+ Tanks + Industrial equipment
+ Bridges + Electrical equipment
+ Onshore platforms + Lifelines
+ Petrochemical plants + Pipelines

UPGRADING/RETROFITTING
We have significant experience assessing, rehabilitating and retrofiting New Zealand landmarks. Our
expertise includes historic, unreinforced masonry structures (including Wellington's Town Hall and the
Hunter Building), and strategically important bridge structures (including the Auckland Harbour Bridge
and Wellington's Thorndon Overpass).

SPECIALIST ANALYSES
With over twenty-five year's experience in high-tech analysis techniques for seismic engineering, we can
simulate earthquake attacks from actual and artificial ground motions. We model the damage locations
for severe shaking and more routine modal analyses.

SPECIALIST PROTECTION SYSTEMS

Our innovative use of special devices and approaches provides affordable and reliable seismic
protection. Relatively fragile industrial plants (including a 1,500 tonne recovery boiler) have been
cocooned in energy-dissipating devices. Auckland's Sky Tower contains special fluid-filled 'cake tins'
designed to help the structures survive intense seismic activity.

GEOTECHNICAL EXPERTISE
We have specialist skills in assessing soils for liquefaction during earthquakes and assessing the stability
of both soil-retaining structures and soil/rock stockpiles. We also have special knowledge of soil
conditions common in South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.

SPECIALIST SEISMIC ADVICE

We act as seismic advisors for large projects. Often from project inception, we provide philosophical
and conceptual seismic design advice, enabling our clients to adopt design levels appropriate to the risk
they are prepared to take. This leads to efficient and economical designs by design-build contractors.

STATE-OF-THE-ART KNOWLEDGE
Beca’s seismic experts play leading roles in the technical study groups of
the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering and regularly are
called upon to visit the sites of major international earthquakes.

COUNTRY DESIGN CODES

Our expertise has been recognised by a number of governments who
have commissioned us to prepare the seismic design aspects of their
national building codes.

Auckland 132 Vincent Street, Ph +64-

MSAUCK\11-2001\EARTHQUAKEENGINEERING.CDR

9-300 9000 + Hamilton Level 3, NZI

Building, Corner of Garden Place &
Alexandra Street, Ph +64-7-838 3828
+ Tauranga 32 Harington Street,
Ph +64-7-578 0896 + New
Plymouth 109 Powderham Street, Ph
+64-6-758 8191 + Wellington 77
Thorndon Quay, Ph +64-4-473 7551 +
Left: Hunter Building, Victoria University. Middle: Wellington’s Christchurch 119 Armagh Street,
Ph +64-3-366 3521 + Dunedin 43
Thorndon Overpass. Right: Sky Tower, Auckland Princes Street, Ph +64-3-477 4202
Australia + Brazil + Brunei + China +
India + Indonesia + Malaysia +
Myanmar + New Caledonia + New
Zealand + Papua New Guinea +
w w w. b e c a . c o m Singapore + USA
KEY CONTACTS

Earthquake Engineering
Beca has a dedicated team of specialists whose services range from seismic
design, assessment and retrofit of bridges, commercial structures and
industrial plants through to geotechnical services for seawalls and soil-
retaining structures.

Dr Richard Sharpe
DDI +64-4-471 5506
Email [email protected]
Expertise: Seismic philosophies and industrial
structures, Seismic standards and concepts,
building codes, non-linear time-history analyses,
seismic design assessment and retrofit of
petrochemical and electrical plants.

Rob Jury
DDI +64-4-471 5511
Email [email protected]
Expertise: Seismic hazard and risk analysis, Site-
specific studies, building codes, seismic design,
assessment and retrofit of commercial structures
and towers.

Ian Billings
DDI +64-9-300 9184
Email [email protected]
Expertise: Bridges, seismic design, assessment and
retrofit of bridges.

Dr Do Van Toan
DDI +9-300 9185
Email [email protected]
Expertise: Geotechnical, liquefaction,
Soil-retaining structures, reclamations, seawalls,
ground improvement.

Auckland 132 Vincent Street, Ph +64-

9-300 9000 + Hamilton Level 3, NZI
Building, Corner of Garden Place &
Alexandra Street, Ph +64-7-838 3828
+ Tauranga 32 Harington Street,
Ph +64-7-578 0896 + New
Plymouth 109 Powderham Street, Ph
+64-6-758 8191 + Wellington 77
Thorndon Quay, Ph +64-4-473 7551 +
Christchurch 119 Armagh Street,
Ph +64-3-366 3521 + Dunedin 43
Princes Street, Ph +64-3-477 4202
Australia + Brazil + Brunei + China +
India + Indonesia + Malaysia +
Myanmar + New Caledonia + New
Zealand + Papua New Guinea +
w w w. b e c a . c o m Singapore + USA