After obtaining a set of construction drawings on November 14, Mr Pearson was able to confirm he was satisfied the foundations met safety standards.
But Mr Pearson told the Invercargill City Council on Tuesday afternoon the drawings had identified a potential issue with the connection point of where the columns were attached to the foundations and more assessment was necessary.
"I guess I’ve got one step forward in terms of the foundations but we have some other connections we have to do some work on identifying if the strengthening may or may not be required for the columns."
Based on the drawings he had obtained, engineers have recommended they should still be considered less than the minimum 34% recommended by the building code.
"However, we still need to work through a bit more detail about how the columns are connected to the concrete foundations."
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark’s questioning of the safety of the city’s Wachner Pl Celtic Columns of Wisdom was rubbished by a city architect, who said the mayor was spreading unnecessary fear.
It has also emerged the Invercargill City Council has no record of the columns being checked after the collapse of Stadium Southland.
The four Dee St columns, along with other constructions, should have been inspected in 2014, after their design engineer, Tony Major, was expelled from the Institute of Professional Engineers for his part in the Southland Stadium collapse in 2010.
The council was now working to confirm if an assessment was completed after 2014.
Mr Clark said earlier this month he had been advised the pillars were a possible earthquake risk as they were under the National Building Standard level of 34%.
Council infrastructure group manager Erin Moogan said, when contacted, assessments of the four columns on Dee St had recently been undertaken as part of the Wachner Pl/Esk St West consultations.
Invercargill architect Bob Simpson contacted the Southland Express and said he believed the council raising doubts about the columns’ structural stability was rushing a problem which could lead to cost overruns.
He had seen the original design drawings and in his opinion the columns were safe.
The columns had substantial foundations that were more than compliant with earthquake and building codes, and post-structural strengthening would not be difficult if it was needed, he said.
One report said the geotechnical conditions were adequate, and above the earthquake risk of 67% National Building Standards.
Mr Simpson conceded Wachner Pl had not worked well as a public space, but believed Mr Clark was rushing things.
"Rushing projects has its own risks, including not defining the problems well, not providing good lasting solutions, not completing projects on time and having major costs overruns."
Mr Simpson did not see the point in demolishing structures unless there was a good reason.
"Otherwise, we wouldn’t have any historic buildings around anywhere . . . and columns are very much a part of our heritage . . . it’s a Celtic and Scottish thing," he said.
"You don’t demolish things for the sake of it.
"It seems to me they haven’t been really considered as part of our urban landscape.
"I can’t think of any practical reason why they should be removed."
By Toni McDonald
