Christchurch Earthquake

Project scope

Christchurch, New Zealand

Following the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 Christchurch was in a period of recovery, as the physical and psychological damage caused by the earthquake made a significant mark on the City and its surrounds. Forming part of a team and working with a major insurance provider, COVA undertook a structural assessment of residential properties which were damaged beyond the cap required for direct Government funding and repairs. The properties that our team worked on included the multi-unit and multi-insured, which were groups of multiple dwellings insured under different providers. Our role in the project was to assess total damage and determine if each dwelling was best classed as a repair or a rebuild. Following this, COVA lead a process of approvals to deliver an appropriate solution for restoring homes to pre-earthquake conditions. Through the Earthquake Commission (EQC), the government undertook large-scale testing and assessment throughout the City in a bid to identify appropriate areas to build and which structural designs to use within each area. COVA successfully established an office in Christchurch with permanent civil and structural engineers on location. Our involvement in Christchurch to date has provided extremely exciting and rewarding project opportunities. COVA highly valued the opportunity to contribute to the rebuild of Christchurch and assist in the restoration of the city.