NBS Explanation: what is % NBS?

%NBS (New Building Standard) is an indicator of an existing building when compared with a newly constructed building.

In other words, it is an earthquake assessment of how well an existing building fares against today’s building standards.

It is like comparing a 1970s Holden Torana versus today’s Toyota Corolla. Yes, the 1970s Torana has its charm, but it is not equipped as well as a new Corolla: no airbags, no ABS, therefore less safe for the driver & passenger in an accident.

Similarly, a beautifully ageing building could be more prone to earthquakes than a well-built new building, and so could impose a higher degree of risk to its occupants.

There are two key % NBS numbers when it comes to existing buildings:

The good news is that with PYTHON, the cost to ‘earthquake retrofit’ your building can be dramatically reduced.

How to I find out the %NBS rating of my building?

You will need to engage a Structural Engineer to assess your building (if you have not got one, CONTACT US and we can direct you).

The Structural Engineer would then complete the earthquake assessment in accordance with the appropriate national guideline and provide an %NBS rating for your building. This includes official guidelines (Section C8) released by MBIE for engineers to use for earthquake assessment (see mbie eq assess website).