QV.co.nz hazard reports on buildings

QV.co.nz hazard report

The QV website provides a range of reports for individual properties in New Zealand. For properties in main urban areas the hazard report outlines landslide, flooding, coastal and earthquake hazards that may affect that property. This includes an assessment of the susceptibility to ground shaking, fault rupture and liquefaction.

The purpose of the hazard report is to provide a better understanding of the hazards that may affect a property. It is not a geological or engineering report for a property and does not replace the need for a site inspection in respect of any issues relating to geological, foundation or other hazard-related conditions at the relevant property.

The information in these hazard reports is provided by Property Insight which is a joint venture involving the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS Science), Quotable Value Limited (QV) and Niu Pacific Limited.

The information in the hazard report is based on geological mapping, scientific models and complemented with information from some local authorities. The specific risk of liquefaction in the vicinity of a property is assessed using rock and soil characteristics from a geological database developed by GNS Science, plus an estimated depth to ground water in the area. No geotechnical or subsurface data has been used in making this assessment.

According to the hazard information in the QV website many properties in Christchurch have a high or very high risk of liquefaction in a large earthquake. Which of these properties actually sustain liquefaction damage will depend on a number of factors including the location and size of the earthquake, the depth of the ground water in the area at the time, and the specific construction of the building.

A site specific inspection and engineering report will provide a more appropriate level of risk assessment for a property.

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