The below guidelines have been prepared by Stratford District Council to provide guidance to building consent applicants regarding the minimum level of geotechnical investigation required when submitting a building consent application and to ensure Building Officers are able to assess compliance with the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code.
Included in these guidelines are exclusions for some specific types of proposed building projects. It is however recommended that you always obtain advice in regard to geotechnical site assessments and ground conditions from a Chartered Professional Engineer holding a geotechnical practice field endorsement from Engineering New Zealand or a suitably qualified and experienced Chartered Professional Engineering Geologist registered by Engineering New Zealand.
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide clear guidance to help designers, builders, developers and engineers fulfil the Council’s information requirements for building consent purposes, by explaining how those requirements can be met.
The document sets out the minimum requirements for geotechnical investigation, reporting and documentation that should be provided in support of a building consent application. A building consent application needs to provide sufficient information for Council to be able to be satisfied on 'reasonable grounds' that structural requirements adequately address site specific geotechnical conditions.
Application of these guidelines will provide consistent practice across the building sector within the district.
These guidelines are a non-statutory document and may be subject to change as new information becomes available.
Geotechnical Site Investigation Guidance for Building Consents:
