Revisions to Section C5 (and associated sections) of the non-EPB Seismic Assessment Guidelines have been released for use. They relate predominantly to the assessment of concrete buildings and components. The updated sections can be found on the Design Resilience website. The update to Chapter C5 supersedes the 2018 Yellow Chapter. Engineers can now use the updated sections for seismic assessments of existing buildings outside of the earthquake-prone building system.
About the updated Section C5 (and associated sections)
These guideline updates are part of the work programme of the Joint Committee for Seismic Assessment. Engineering New Zealand facilitated a public consultation on the proposed updates in 2024. All comments were considered by the Joint Committee, and the proposed revisions were modified as necessary. Although this work mostly relates to reinforced concrete, associated revisions within Sections C1, C2, C3 and C7 apply to all building types. A summary of key changes is included in the front of each section, and all altered content is clearly marked.
The updates are expected to improve the clarity, consistency and accuracy of assessments, and better reflect our latest understanding of the performance of concrete buildings in earthquakes. Engineers should use these latest versions when carrying out assessments. The only time they should use the 2017 versions is when they are assessing specifically whether a building is earthquake-prone under the EPB system. In this situation, assessments will have been initiated by a letter from the territorial authority advising that the building is potentially earthquake prone. The 2017 Seismic Assessments of Existing Buildings – Technical Guidelines for Engineering Assessments (Red Book) must continue to be used by engineers for all seismic assessments under the EPB system, as this is required by legislation.
Please note that the revisions to non-EPB Seismic Assessment Guidelines are not related to the review of the EPB system that MBIE is currently undertaking.
Final Non-EPB Seismic Assessment Guidelines expected in late 2025
The Joint Committee will be making further updates to the Non-EPB Seismic Assessment Guidelines sections over the course of 2025, including changes to geotechnical, URM, and reinforced masonry provisions. We expect to consult on these changes later in 2025 and publish all sections of the non-EPB Guidelines by the end of the year—completing the 2025 edition.
A new process for continual improvement
Once the complete 2025 edition is published, the Joint Committee will commence a five-yearly schedule for updating the Guidelines. A regular cycle of updates will provide the industry with greater certainty as to how and when new knowledge is reviewed and considered for incorporation into the Guidelines. To enable better alignment with research activities, the Joint Committee will also identify key research needs for future update cycles of the Guidelines.
EQAssess is moving to Design.Resilience.NZ
The EQAssess website is being retired. The latest versions of guidelines for non-EPB assessments are now located at Design.Resilience.NZ, alongside other assessment-related resources published by the Joint Committee.
For Assessments being undertaken in accordance with the Earthquake Prone Building (EPB) Methodology (when required by the Building Act), resources are located on MBIE’s Building Performance website.
Learn more about the Joint Committee for Seismic Assessment and Retrofit
