A Christchurch rebuild has been named a finalist in an international competition for structural engineering, The Structural Awards.

Hosted by the Institution of Structural Engineers, the awards recognise the work of the world’s best structural designers with over 100 entries submitted every year.

The new offices for Trimble Navigation by Opus International, which replaced those damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes, have been shortlisted in the commercial and retail structures category. According to the judges, the project pushes the boundaries of earthquake-resistant timber design.

“[We] were impressed by the quality of innovative and unobtrusive detailing, combined with an approach that allows easy replacement of deformed energy dissipation elements and a rapid post-earthquake return to functionality,” the judges said.

The design uses load bearing laminated veneer lumber (LVL) post-tensioned frames and walls in orthogonal directions to resist seismic forces, ensuring minimum residual post-earthquake damage.

The performance-based approach required an innovative design, which includes easily replaceable energy dissipaters at frame joints, a combination of timber rivets and fully threaded screws to provide stiff, low-slip connections, and a post-tensioning system that ensures a return to the original geometry following deformation from seismic action.

Winners and commended projects will be announced at a black-tie gala evening in London on 14 November.