Residents push for traditional demolition methods amidst mini quake concern.
New Zealand’s Civil Defence is considering using explosives to demolish the earthquake-hit Hotel Grand Chancellor despite concerns it could cause a “mini-earthquake”, damaging nearby buildings.
Tenders to demolish the 27-storey Cashel St building closed yesterday, with at least four companies submitting proposals to bring it down by “implosion” or using a crane.
Civil Defence national controller John Hamilton said no decision had been made to use explosives, but there was a risk that surrounding buildings could be damaged.
“A controlled explosion will be swift, but the counter-argument is there is a risk of collateral damage,” he said. “There is a risk with both methods.”
The Copthorne Hotel in Durham St and the Harcourts building in Madras St fell into a similar category, requiring demolition to reopen parts of the city but with potential for damage to surrounding buildings, he said. He could not provide a timetable for when any of them would be demolished because it would ultimately be a decision for building owners and insurers.
A building industry source said Civil Defence’s critical-building team was leaning towards using explosives, and he was worried about potential damage to surrounding buildings. “They are very excited about blowing it up.”
He said nearby building owners were pushing for a more traditional demolition.
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