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New Low Damage Seismic Design (LDSD) building resources

Posted: 4 March 2025

3 people looking at building design plans.
A 3-volume set of Low Damage Seismic Design (LDSD) resources are being developed to help design new buildings that perform better in an earthquake – volume one is available now with volumes two and three to follow.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake are developing 3 volumes of technical resources to support the low damage seismic design of new buildings. Volume one is available now – check back later in 2025 for volumes two and three.

How the Low Damage Seismic Design (LDSD) resources can help

The aim of the LDSD resources is to help building owners, developers and design teams who want building designs that:

  • lower the potential risk of earthquake damage to a new building
  • reduce the time it takes before a building can be used after an earthquake
  • provide sustainability benefits such as less repairs and reducing the chance a building needs to be demolished after an earthquake.

Organisations that would benefit most from an LDSD approach include those:  

  • unable to easily relocate
  • providing essential community services
  • who rely on their building to carry out time-critical operations or are heavily dependent on the building for their operations, or both.

Taking an LDSD approach can help future-proof buildings, protect investments and safeguard the resilience of communities against the unpredictability of earthquakes.

Download the LDSD resources

The new LDSD resources will be downloadable PDFs in 3 volumes. Volume one is available now and covers the benefits of LDSD, options and getting started.

Volumes two and three are due later in 2025.

To find out more about volumes two and three, and download volume one, go to the LDSD resources web page.

Low Damage Seismic Design resources

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This information is published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Chief Executive. It is a general guide only and, if used, does not relieve any person of the obligation to consider any matter to which the information relates according to the circumstances of the particular case. Expert advice may be required in specific circumstances. Where this information relates to assisting people: