The majority of assets that require seismic strengthening are fully tenanted and operational. WTP Advisory understand that any seismic work is unwanted disruption and unplanned expenditure. Working closely with owners, tenants and key stakeholders, we develop a project cash flow and delivery model that minimises business interruption and approved funding. Working closely with the owner and tenant(s), delivery programmes and miles stones are aligned with current or new lease obligations.
Many Structural Engineers provide a ‘one size fits all’ structural solution, often resulting in unnecessary cost. Through significant experience and working closely with the engineer, our Project Managers drive the design team to investigate the existing building structure, carrying out testing if required, to provide the best and most cost-effective design solution. From the outset, our Project Managers establish robust processes that will extend all the way through the assessment period, design phase, costing and funding approvals and into the construction delivery to ensure the building owner has full transparency.
Detailed Seismic Assessments are often carried out due to tenant requirements or statutory obligation rather than the owners desire. Many Structural Engineers provide a ‘one size fits all’ DSA with a wide range of assumptions, often resulting in unnecessary cost. Through significant experience WTP Advisory knows that most assumptions can be mitigated through further analysis and/or physical investigations and have worked with many structural engineers to successfully reduce the scope and cost of strengthening solutions.
For obvious reasons, seismic strengthening is often focused solely on the structure of the building. WTP Advisory understands that the majority of seismic strengthening requires a Building Consent which often leads to costly triggered compliance upgrades to fire and accessibility. Furthermore, the structure is often concealed with architectural finishes causing remedials to increase costs and potentially increase disruption.
By understanding this process, WTP Advisory, will engage the appropriate design team to evaluate the impact of seismic strengthening options and provide a complete project scope and cost estimates to inform critical planning and budgeting.
Led by the structural engineer, remedial options are often functional and driven by the need to achieve a desired percentage of the New Zealand Building Standard (%NBS) with aesthetics and tenant use often over looked. Working with the design team and in house WTP Quantity Surveyors, WTP Advisory can drive the design team to provide a range of design options which can be priced to give the building owner costed options by which to make an informed decision.
Business interruption, seasonal quiet periods, extended cash flow or the need to complete in the shortest time frame, our team will work with the owner, tenant and key stakeholders to establish the key outcomes to need the business needs and to make the project successful. WTP Advisory has significant experience with local councils, government departments and the private sector establishing bespoke delivery models for each.
WTP Advisory understands that the majority of Seismic projects are often in a tenanted or live public environment and there is a high risk of business interruption. Working alongside building owners, tenants, designers and the contractor WTP Advisory has successfully and safely delivered a wide range of retail, office, commercial, public and industrial projects with minimal disruption by careful planning and programming to stage tenant relocations, work out of hours or changing the construction methodology to eliminate disruption.