Addington Raceway Hotel

In the wake of the 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, the city has undergone a massive rebuilding phase to replace the many buildings that were destroyed. This new 6-storey hotel is one of the prime examples of modern building design in a highly seismic area.
Due to the time constraints of the racing calendar, a brief window of less than 10 months was available for the complete construction of the entire project. To achieve this, it was decided to use pre-fabricated steel modules that could be speedily assembled on site.
Whilst this method benefits the construction programme, the design challenges were considerable. In such a highly seismic area, the lateral stability of the structure was paramount. Creating a load-path to transmit the seismic forces required careful attention and collaboration with the architect and module fabricator, CIMC Module Building Systems.
Despite being the leading provider of modular buildings in the world, CIMC had never used a fully steel core in any of their previous projects. This design was therefore a pioneering one, requiring highly-advanced analysis, with particular attention to the interaction and connections between modules.
Innovative techniques such as using the module flooring for diaphragm action, and locating high-strength tension bars within the braced-cores were successfully used to resist seismic action in an economic manner.