# data[].attributes.body
In every class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Designing Schools in New Zealand - Structural and Geotechnical Guidelines" sets out the Ministry's requirements for the structural and geotechnical aspects of designing and assessing school buildings.

The guidelines have been endorsed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. They establish clear and consistent overall design philosophies. Complying with the guidelines is mandatory from 1 July 2015.

Download the guidelines

Using the guidelines

These guidelines form part of the Education Infrastructure Design Guidance Documents that designers, along with structural and geotechnical engineers, must refer to when undertaking work on school buildings. Those who lead and co-ordinate design work, like architects and project managers, should also be familiar with the scope and purpose of the guidelines.

For matters that are important to the Ministry and school occupants, more specific guidance covering the key engineering design aspects is included, for both new school buildings and the assessment and upgrade of existing buildings.

The guidelines are organised in sections to highlight where our requirements exceed the New Zealand Building Code. They advise how certain provisions of the Building Code should be applied to school buildings.

Versions and feedback

Version 2.0 was released in March 2016 and renamed 'Designing Schools in New Zealand - Structural and Geotechnical Guidelines'. The document history including key changes is shown on page 2 of the guidelines.

They became mandatory for all structural and geotechnical design commissioned by or on behalf of the Ministry on 1 July 2015 following the release of version 1.0 in March 2015, and version 1.1 in June 2015 .

The guidelines will continue to be updated in response to both technical developments and recommendations from the Engineering Strategy Group and feedback from users. We are constantly seeking to improve the usability of our guidelines. If anything in this document requires clarification please email property.help@education.govt.nz.

Why we developed the guidelines

Following the Canterbury earthquakes there has been an intensive engineering effort to better understand the seismic performance of our buildings (in Canterbury and nationally). Many technical issues and lessons have also emerged out of reviews of new school designs by our Design Review Panel. Most of these issues are common to New Zealand buildings generally, and involve new design as well as the assessment of existing buildings.

The guidelines are the Ministry's first step in developing national guidelines for school design. They have been prepared by our Engineering Strategy Group (ESG) and have been endorsed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The guidelines help all working on school building assessment and design to deliver cost-effective educational buildings that are fit for purpose. Within an engineering context, this means:

ensuring efficient and economic design and construction practices are incorporated in:

new school building design

the assessment, repair and retrofit of existing school buildings

providing guidance on the preferred design of school buildings to achieve more resilient outcomes in future natural disaster events

advising where departures from conventional design are needed for specific performance requirements

highlighting particular aspects of the historical performance of school buildings that designers should take into account in both the design of new school buildings and the repair and adaptation of existing school buildings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Designing Schools in New Zealand - Structural and Geotechnical Guidelines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Designing Schools in New Zealand - Structural and Geotechnical Guidelines" sets out the Ministry's requirements for the structural and geotechnical aspects of designing and assessing school buildings. The guidelines have been endorsed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. They establish clear and consistent overall design philosophies.

# data[].attributes.body
this gives you tips on how to set up your speech, what is bad/good, speaker roles, etc
this saved my LIFE!!

# data[].attributes.body
Frances to write the moot - debate standard.
Emily and Simone to concisely explain their argument - debate standard.

Example: I have wadded through the positive’s teams sinking arguments for long enough.  Make no mistake learned friends, New Zealand’s Water Safety Programmes are NOT adequate. In refuting any claims of adequacy, the first two speakers of the negative team have raised two crucial points:  Firstly, Erica eloquently explained that New Zealand’s horrific annual drowning rates demonstrate the inadequacy of our adequate water safety programmes.  Secondly, MacKenzie fluently illustrated our water safety programmes are regularly failing our passionate recreational and commercial boaties.  Finally, on top of these already compelling arguments, I am going to show how the inadequacy of NZ WSP is further enhanced by New Zealand’s education system

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We have a funding Programme (backed by private sector insurance) to pay for repairs to school buildings damaged in an incident. Under the Programme, your school buildings will be covered for loss or damage costing over $2,500 to repair and that meets the Programme criteria. You must contact your property advisor about doing any urgent work and to apply for Programme funding.

Consider having some prearranged contractors for afterhours call outs for urgent repairs.

The Programme covers

The School Building Insurance Funding Programme covers repairs for damage caused by:

fire

water - from a sudden problem including a burst pipe or sprinkler

earthquakes, including events that happen following an earthquake, such as fire or a tsunami

extreme weather like storms, heavy snow, gales, lightning strikes and floods

lost or stolen keys (up to $50,000).

The funding can only be used for:

repairing school buildings owned by the Ministry

replacing actual square metres lost up to what's specified in the School Property Guide (SPG) funding programme

demolishing damaged buildings, including those not eligible for replacement under the SPG

costs, such as consultants' fees, that are part of the repair or replacement project.

You might also be covered for 'consequential costs'. These are costs to keep the school running such as providing:

transport to get staff and students to another place for classes

temporary services like toilets or electricity generators

barriers or panels to provide safe access to the school.

How the Programme works for property paid for by community groups or the board of trustees

Buildings jointly owned by you and the Ministry

It covers you for the actual net square metres lost, up to our pre-agreed share or up to your entitlement in the School Property Guide, whichever is smaller.

You need to arrange insurance for your portion of any shared building. However, you shouldn't insure surplus space as we won't allow you to rebuild it.

Buildings owned jointly by the Ministry and a community group (such as halls and gyms)

It covers you for the actual net square metres lost, up to our pre agreed share or up to your entitlement in the School Property Guide, whichever is smaller.

The community group usually needs to insure the portion it owns as a condition of the standard agreement between the board and the community group.

Learn more about leases and licences of school property

Buildings owned jointly by you and a community group

Making a claim and managing the damage after an incident

1. Stop any further damage

This can mean:

closing off a burst pipe to prevent flooding

patching roof damage from a storm to stop water entering the building.

2. Contact the Ministry

Contact your Ministry property advisor to advise them of the damage, get their advice on how to handle it and apply for Programme funding. If you get the work done before talking to them, your funding request will be declined.

3. Do the urgent repairs

You will need to do an emergency procurement to engage contractors. Get our prior approval to go ahead with the procurement when you talk to your property advisor. We can give you verbal approval. Leave a message if we are not available to take the call and then follow this up with an email confirmation.

When doing urgent repairs:

talk to your property advisor about whether you need to call in the emergency response coordinator

keep repairs to essential work to keep the school open and stop further damage

take photos showing the damage and the repairs

keep a record of all the work and keep all invoices - you will need this to get funding under the Programme provided the total repair work meets our criteria.

4. Get non urgent repairs done

When we calculate the total cost of repairs we include:

any emergency repairs already done

your project manager's fees

the cost of the work.

Repairs from $2,501.00 to $9,999.99

You can organise the work yourself if it is minor work like replacing damaged carpet.

You don't need any quotes for work under $10,000. You can just contact an appropriate contractor, or you can use an emergency response coordinator to organise it for you.

A loss adjuster may need to be involved if the total cost may go over $10,000, if a professional opinion could be needed or it might be possible to recover costs from another party. We can advise you about this.

Repairs from $10,000 to $40,000

Both the emergency response coordinator and the loss adjuster must be involved. We will contact the loss adjuster.

Using the emergency response coordinator

Each local Ministry office has a contract for emergency response coordinators in its area. Either you, your local property advisor, the Fire Service or the Police can contact them if you need their services. They are available at all times.
Emergency response coordinators
The emergency response coordinator:

coordinates the response effort with emergency services

does an inspection and arranges any urgent work to get the school functioning as quickly as possible

organises emergency accommodation, security and safety at the school, if needed

prepares the scope of work in liaison with you, your project manager, property advisor and loss adjuster.

The loss adjuster's role

We have a national contract for loss adjuster services. We will call in a loss adjuster to:

investigate the cause and confirm that the loss is covered by the Programme

meet with you to identify risks and hazards, and review any security measures taken by the emergency response coordinator or your project manager

review the scope of work prepared by the emergency response coordinator and estimate remedial costs (for tendered work, the building plans must be developed with, and approved by, the loss adjuster before work can start).

Getting the work done

If the remedial work is approved under the Programme, you must start the work within one year or the project budget will be withdrawn. Contact your local Ministry office to apply for an extension if you can't start within the year.

Your project manager:

manages the remedial work

organises security and urgent repairs (if not done by the emergency response coordinator or loss adjuster)

prepares the scope of work in liaison with the board of trustees, property advisor, emergency response coordinator and loss adjuster.

You don't have to rebuild exactly what was there before. Many older style buildings aren't suitable as an innovative learning environment and can be updated.

The Programme won't cover

damage to contents (see contents insurance page)

the normal movement of the building on its foundations

natural bulging of the land, or ground heave, unless it was caused by a 'convulsion of nature'

damage from gradually developing causes like mould, mildew, rust, corrosion or the natural movement in building materials

smoke, fumes, dust or gas, unless the damage comes from a sudden event, like fire

bad workmanship, materials or design but resultant damage may be covered

leaky buildings - see weathertightness failure for more information on our leaky buildings Programme.

damage arising from poor maintenance - the amount you receive under the Programme will be based on how much the repair costs would have been if the property had been properly maintained; when in doubt, this will be decided by a loss adjuster

damage to machinery where it's broken down (but fire/explosion damage resulting from the breakdown would be covered)

damage to land, trees, shrubs, crops, lawns, grassed areas, gardens

damage to paths, driveways, playgrounds or tennis courts, paving, roads or asphalt

damage to residential property, like teacher houses

damage to fences or retaining walls that are not an integral part of the building

damage to covered ways that are not an integral part of the building

damage to services like water, sewerage, gas, data supply and electricity where it is more than 3 metres from a building

damage to swimming pools and associated buildings and infrastructure

damage to caretakers' and groundsmen sheds, tractor sheds, equipment sheds, sports pavilions and pump houses

damage to board or community funded buildings

damage from vandalism - other than arson; see vandalism funding for information about repairing this type of damage.

Further information on what is or isn't covered

Trees - damage to trees is not covered by the Programme. However, if trees cause damage, for example, if a branch falls on a building during a storm, the Programme may cover the damage to the building. Make sure you keep your trees well trimmed so this is less likely to occur.

Damage from power failure - damage to electrical infrastructure such as cabling that's within 3 metres of a building is covered. But damage from power failures is not covered.

Solar panels - solar panels that are a part of the building are covered, provided the reason for the damage is not an excluded reason. For example, they won't be covered if the damage is from general deterioration or weather.

Removing asbestos - the Programme will cover the costs of removing damaged asbestos. It won't cover the costs of removing undamaged asbestos.

Paying for damage not covered by the Programme

Pay for damage costing less than $5,000 using your operational funding.

To pay for damage over $5,000 but not covered by the Programme, use your 5 Year Agreement funding, but only if the property is owned by the Ministry. If you don't have enough 5YA funding to cover the damage, talk to your local Ministry office.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School Building Insurance Funding Programme

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Ministry's School Building Insurance Funding Programme covers your school buildings for damage after an event. You must always contact your Ministry property advisor before starting any repairs and to find out if you are eligible for funding under the Programme.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You've Got a Story to Tell

Share your stories and photos of the Canterbury and other New Zealand earthquakes. Get involved and help shape this living memorial to share with future generations.
Your Stories c Your Photos I

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
QuakeStories is a place where you can tell your stories about the earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011 and their aftershocks. Whatever your age, whether you're an individual, part of a community, a business or an organisation, you have stories to tell.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Joomla! - the dynamic portal engine and content management system

# data[].attributes.body
1ST SPEAKER
--defining the moot
--outlining team's case & what each speaker is saying
--why school's need to be prepared/what is the need of preparation
--demonstrate a drill e.g. 'the turtle'
--talk them through it etc
2ND SPEAKER
--preparation before:
--buildng standards
--education & prep.
--drills, plans etc
--measures put in place
--what schools are more vulnerable and why and what they do in comparison
3RD SPEAKER
--during & after:
--immediate reactions e.g. where were they evacuated, roll checks, did students know what to do etc
--^^^ reactions
--did the measures work?
--STATISTICS OF EVERYTHING RELEVANT

# data[].attributes.body
You can't see the blue pen in this

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Get ready: preparing our schools for disaster

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All school building projects must comply with legal and Ministry design standards and should follow best practice standards. As a board of trustees, you must make sure that any consultant or contractor you use for your project is aware of the standards. The standards include things like toilet numbers using the Building Code calculator.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After the first Canterbury earthquake the National Crisis Management Centre in the basement of the Beehive in Wellington was activated. Civil Defence declared a state of emergency for Christchurch, the Selwyn District and the Waimakariri District. The February earthquake led to a state of national emergency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We prioritise school buildings for seismic assessment based on their level of potential risk to life safety in an earthquake. Our earthquake resilience (EQR) programme manages assessment of priority buildings by engineers. It also helps to manage the strengthening or demolition work for earthquake-prone buildings, which is covered here.

Earthquake resilience programme

Our EQR programme makes sure existing school buildings are assessed for seismic strength, meaning that any significant seismic vulnerabilities can be identified for strengthening. School buildings are assessed by engineers according to their priority, and we use these results to decide if a school building needs strengthening. Some school buildings have already been strengthened as part of this work.

Our goals are:

in the short term, to address any critical weaknesses in school buildings as soon as possible so that no school buildings are earthquake prone

in the medium term, to strengthen all school buildings to at least 67% of the New Building Standard (NBS).

Prioritising school buildings for seismic assessment

Buildings are prioritised for seismic assessment, and later for strengthening, based on their level of risk to life safety in an earthquake. The table shows how they are prioritised.

Priority one

Unreinforced masonry.

Multi-storey buildings of heavy construction.

We are concentrating our resources on assessing priority one and 2 buildings.

Assessments will be undertaken by engineers appointed by the Ministry.

Single-storey buildings with large open floor areas (eg halls and gyms).

Single-storey buildings of heavy construction.

Other (non-priority)

One- and two-storey timber- and steel-framed buildings.

Ancillary structures (eg storage facilities or boiler rooms).

We do not manage the assessment of non-priority buildings because of their low risk to life safety in an earthquake.

Identifying earthquake-prone buildings

Our EQR programme manages the assessment of all priority one and 2 buildings. Buildings undergo an initial seismic assessment, and the EQR programme will decide when a detailed seismic assessment is required based on the results of the initial seismic assessment.

An initial seismic assessment of a building will indicate broadly what percentage of the NBS it meets.

A detailed seismic assessment of a building will provide more specific information where considered necessary, and is usually sought when an initial seismic assessment indicates that a building may be earthquake prone.

Under section 122 of the Building Act 2004 (New Zealand Legislation website) (external link) , a building is earthquake prone if it is likely to both:

have its ultimate capacity (strength) exceeded in a moderate earthquake, and

collapse, causing injury, death or damage to other property.

Assessments also consider the level of earthquake activity in the area where a building is located.

Using all of this information, and specific structural requirements , engineers can determine if a building is earthquake prone or not. Find out more about timber-framed buildings .

Managing earthquake-prone buildings

If buildings are assessed as earthquake prone, it does not usually mean they cannot be occupied. The EQR programme helps to manage the remediation work for earthquake-prone school buildings. Before the work begins, an earthquake-prone building will be assessed as either:

fit to occupy - the EQR programme then works with the school to prioritise and schedule strengthening works, or

not fit to occupy - it will then be closed and strengthening work or demolition will be arranged as soon as practical.

Find out more about strengthening school buildings for earthquake resilience .

Funding seismic assessments

If a building needs a seismic assessment, we:

will fund the entire assessment if we own or part-own the building

will not fund the assessment if we do not own the building.

Note: These assessments will not affect your 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We prioritise school buildings for seismic assessment based on their level of risk to life safety in an earthquake. Our earthquake resilience (EQR) programme manages assessment of priority buildings. It also helps to manage the strengthening or demolition work for earthquake-prone buildings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recent research has improved understanding of the earthquake resilience of school buildings. Our Engineering Strategy Group (ESG) has played a significant role in undertaking this research to inform the Ministry's policies on designing, assessing and strengthening school buildings.

Engineering Strategy Group

The ESG was established in October 2012. It provides technical leadership to help us develop policies and processes for the structural assessment and strengthening of existing school buildings and the design of new buildings. The ESG also helps to communicate these policies and put them into action.

The ESG's work has included:

reviewing our policy on using building importance levels and suggesting amendments

providing technical guidance for the detailed engineering evaluation programme in Greater Christchurch

providing technical advice on prioritising the assessment and strengthening of school buildings outside of Greater Christchurch

undertaking a programme of work to provide further evidence of the resilience of timber-framed school buildings

overseeing the destructive testing of 2 standard types of timber-framed school buildings

developing structural and geotechnical guidance for the design of new school buildings and redevelopments.

The ESG continues to work on projects to help us and our engineering consultants improve the effectiveness and efficiency of assessing and strengthening buildings.

Investigation reports on school buildings

We have commissioned research into the earthquake resilience of school buildings. Below are recent reports detailing the findings of this research.

Impact of earthquakes on school buildings

Opus International Consultants reviewed the performance of school buildings during the Canterbury earthquakes. The report found that, overall, school buildings performed well. Of the damage to school buildings in Christchurch, a large proportion of it was the result of ground deformation.

To read the report, go to Canterbury Earthquakes - Impact on the Ministry of Education's School Buildings [PDF, 4.7 MB] .

Catalogue of standard school building types

This catalogue identifies standard building types in the Canterbury region. Some are found throughout the whole country.

For more information on the categories of buildings, go to catalogue of standard school building types [PDF, 9.6 MB] .

Nelson 2-storey blocks intrusive investigations

Nelson blocks are the most common type of buildings in secondary schools. Beginning as 'T' blocks, their layout was later extended (as schools grew) to form a symmetrical 'H' shape. We undertook intrusive investigations of 2-storey nelson blocks at Upper Hutt College and Mairehau High School, to confirm that the 'H' blocks should be assessed as a single integral building, rather than as distinct end and central blocks. As a result, the bracing capacity needed in the transverse direction has been higher than was previously estimated.

To read the report, go to Two Storey Nelson Block - Physical Inspection Findings and Implications on Detailed Seismic Assessment Results [PDF, 1.1 MB] .

More reports detailing research commissioned by us into timber-framed school buildings specifically are on timber-framed school buildings earthquake resilience.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Earthquake resilience of school buildings

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recent research has improved understanding of the earthquake resilience of school buildings. Our Engineering Strategy Group (ESG) has played a significant role in undertaking this research to inform the Ministry's policies on designing, assessing and strengthening school buildings. The ESG was established in October 2012.

# data[].attributes.body
https://education.govt.nz/school/student-support/emergencies/

http://www.whatstheplanstan.govt.nz

http://www.civildefence.govt.nz