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The re-opening of the Puhoi Library, which was extensively damaged by flood waters after Cyclone Gabrielle, could still be a year away.
Auckland Council recently cleared silt from around the building and off the internal floorboards, and library shelving and floorboards have been removed and stored in a nearby container.
The subfloor and footing detail has been exposed and this has confirmed multiple flood silt levels over the lifespan of the building, and there is significant decay and failure of the bearers that once supported the floor.
Council says seismic engineers and a heritage architect will meet on site this week to start a combined design process to achieve acceptable seismic protection, which is currently very low, and remediation that considers heritage values. Improving the building’s resilience to future flooding events is also in their brief.
Moving the building away from the river has been ruled out as it would adversely affect its heritage value.
The library’s entire collection, amounting to more than 6000 books, documents and photographs, was destroyed by the flooding.
