Engineers have unveiled a plan which they say can allow for
the restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral.
At the city council's earthquake forum yesterday
representatives from the Great Christchurch Building Trust
said the cathedral "is not ruined" and can be saved.
Independent Engineering Group chair, seismic and structural
engineer Adam Thornton who advises the trust, unveiled the
plan which was mooted by last year.
The plan is to have a large steel frame put inside what
remains of the cathedral, which will slowly move along as
smaller frames are deployed to the sides to strengthen it. Mr
Thornton said workers would be protected from seismic events
due to the frame.
Great Christchurch Building Trust spokesman and former MP Jim
Anderton said there is a public misconception that the
cathedral is "wrecked" and unsalvageable.
He said that if people viewed the Cathedral, not from the
front, but from the side and back "you would see a completely
different view".
"If you looked at the roof of that cathedral which is
supposed to be the weak point it is in fact steel reinforced
and that's why it is still there," he said.
"It is not wrecked, from the back or from the side and the
roof
"We don't want every brick and nail back exactly where it
used to be but we would like to see as much restored as
possible.
"More importantly now a symbol of the rebuild of the city,"
- By Shelley Robinson of The Star
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