Engineer concerned about current system

4:37 pm on 10 September 2012

An engineer has told the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission he has concerns about the ability of the current engineering system to identify sub-standard work.

The commission has been investigating building failures that resulted in 185 deaths as a result of the February 2011 earthquake.

The commission on Friday completed its inquiry into the Canterbury Television building collapse in central Christchurch, killing 115 people.

The hearing was told an engineer who prepared the drawings was not experienced in designing multi-storey buildings.

On Monday, a panel of specialists discussed what changes might be needed within the engineering industry.

Structural engineer Derek Bradley told the panel the way engineers' technical competencies were examined lacked robustness and he also had some concerns about the training available.

Mr Bradley said he has encountered other engineers acting outside their area of competence and has concerns about the training available to engineers and the ability of the current system to identify sub-standard work.