Expert says 3800 buildings unsafe in quake

Thousands of unreinforced masonry building around the country need to come down, to prevent deaths in an earthquake, the Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes has been told.

Structural engineer John O'Loughlin told the Royal Commission on Wednesday that about 3800 such buildings in New Zealand cannot be made safe enough to stand a major quake, One News reports.

The Royal Commission is hearing evidence about buildings other than the Canterbury Television and Pyne Gould Corporation buildings which failed in the February 22 quake, causing a loss of life.

Mr O'Loughlin told the Royal Commission the Joe's Garage cafe on Hereford Street, which partly collapsed in the quake, could never have held up - despite being strengthened just five years earlier.

Chef Gregory Tobin, 25, was killed by falling masonry as he ran into the street.

"No matter how well or poorly the connections were made they were going to fail under those circumstances," Mr O'Loughlin said.

"My personal view is structural walls comprised of bricks should be very seriously looked at as to whether they should be replaced."

He said the strengthening work was successful in that the building did not collapse - and there was virtually no damage inside the cafe.

There are 1000 buildings with unreinforced masonry in downtown Auckland, and nearly 700 in Wellington, which could come down in a quake.

Almost all unreinforced masonry buildings in Christchurch were damaged in the February quake.