By acquiring well ahead of time a full comprehensive soil investiga- tion and information on the ground- water-table, excavation could be planned ahead and orders placed, with no unforseen happenings occur- ing while the job was in progress.
The advantages of this early plan- ning and investigational work and close collaboration between archi- tect, structural engineer, services en- gineers and contractors were reflect- ed in the speed and smooth running of the subsequent construction work.
Demolition of the existing build- ing occupied a total period of two months. Driving of the peripheral sheet piling, excavation, and raft and basement construction up to and including ground floor was complet- ed in five months. The superstruc- ture was completed in a further period of six months, the average rate of construction being maintain- ed at eight days per storey for the podium and six days per storey for the tower block.
Considering the congested nature of the site with single point access from one of the busiest thorough- fares in Hong Kong, these construc- tion times constitute no mean ach- ievement.
Standardisation
Another time-saving factor was the standardisation of detailing throughout the building as far as was practicable. This meant pre- serving continuity at the cost of some extra materials but it led to
Early view of site showing excavations for lower basement
a high saving in labour costs, which are increasing rapidly.
The building was designed pri- marily as an office-block with half of the ground storey, including the next basement storey set aside for
use as a banking hall and offices.
It was noted that the location of the property, being situated amid four of the most prominent banks in Hong Kong, and facing an open space with Government offices
in
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