By Annabelle Tukia
Conflicting evidence of just how much involvement two engineers had on the design of the CTV building has been given at the royal commission.
Alan Reay has distanced himself from the design of the project, saying it was his employee David Harding who did all the work.
Mr Harding had never designed a multi-storey buildings before his boss Alan Reay put him in charge of the CTV project. But today Mr Reay told the commission he believed his employee was up to the task.
“Mr Harding was a qualified experienced engineer expected to work without supervision,” said Mr Reay.
But Mr Harding has told the commission that timesheets provided as evidence don't accurately reflect Mr Reay's involvement with the project, and that he believes Mr Reay spent far more than three hours on the job.
“Despite what Mr Harding says, I was not involved with the design of the project,” said Mr Reay.
The six-storey office block collapsed during the February 22nd quake killing 115 people and injuring dozens more.
Earlier today under cross examination Mr Harding was asked if he was concerned by the fact that a building he had designed was the only one in the city to collapse so catastrophically.
“It has caused me much concern over the design of this building,” said Mr Harding.
But Mr Harding said he had not considered any inadequacies as a result.
And that is a position that is in direct conflict with a Department of Building and Housing report that says design flaws led to the building's demise.
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