The Stadium Southland rebuild in Invercargill has again been delayed, this time by at least a month, after steel frames were built too short.
Stadium trust chairman Acton Smith said yesterday a 45m-long beam for the stadium was 4cm short and would have to be modified, to bring it to the required length.
He said he understood the stadium's frames were built to the same mould so more would also have to be modified.
The frames expanded and contracted in the heat and engineers were getting the calculations exactly right and verifying that the work would have no effect on the structural integrity of the building, he said.
"We are just being absolutely rigorous - the trust will not move until we are utterly convinced these things are safe."
He said the mistake would put the stadium construction at least a month behind schedule.
The stadium's seven courts would be ready to use some time in September, he said.
Smith, whose son and his family were playing on a tennis court in the original stadium five minutes before a snowstorm collapsed the roof, stressed the importance of getting the rebuild right.
"I could have lost them, they were all on that court - we cannot take a risk [with the rebuild]. We want to make sure that fit-on is done so it's safe."
Stadium bosses initially announced last year the new stadium would be opened on March 30 this year, but the rebuild has been hampered by delays.
The city council delayed issuing building consent for the main construction work last year after a peer review of the design raised concerns the new stadium might collapse if another disaster of unusual proportions struck.
It was revealed last month that Alan Reay Consultants, the engineering company that carried out the structural design of the ill-fated CTV building in Christchurch, is the same company that structurally designed the new Stadium Southland.
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