NZSEE Webinar – Why is Seismic design in New Zealand so hard? | Online
June 4 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
A recent plenary session at the NZSEE 2026 Conference, delivered by Michelle Grant, sparked discussion around the balance between first-principles design and prescriptive approaches in seismic standards. The session highlighted key tensions in current practice: while first-principles approaches can enable innovation, they may also introduce complexity and increase the risk of misinterpretation; however, more prescriptive standards can support consistency and clarity but may constrain design flexibility.
Given the strong engagement generated during the session, this seminar aims to bring these discussions to the wider engineering community. Michelle will present key takeaways from her NZSEE conference paper, “Why is Seismic Design in New Zealand So Hard?” This presentation critically reflects on the challenges engineers face in day-to-day design processes, recognising that achieving good seismic design outcomes should be as simple and clear as possible for practicing engineers.
Focusing on the types of structures most commonly designed in New Zealand, the seminar will explore what a “best-fit” approach to seismic design might look like, and invite discussion from attendees on how standards can better support engineering practice.
Presenter Bio:
Michelle Grant is a Chartered Professional Engineer, past president of SESOC and current member of the Seismic Risk Working Group.
