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▲ Merry Terrace, consisting of five connected, 15-storey blocks contains a total of 196 European type flats. About 100 of the 499 piles supporting it were obstructed by large boulders that had to be broken up and removed.
The flats range in size from 900 to 1200 sq. ft. The largest have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large (approx. 22 x 22ft) living. dining room leading onto a six ft. wide balcony, All flats have quar- ters, balcony and toilet for servants,
Flooring throughout is of teak wood. Seawater is used for flushing.
Vine passenger lifts serve the five blocks. The first and smallest block has one 1200 lb. 300 feet per minute lift serving all floors, The other four blocks each have two 1200 lb. 200 feet per minute lifts serving alternate floors.
The otherwise stark approaches to the building are softened by trees which were spared during site pre- parations.
Architect was Mr H. S. Tam.
The general contractor was the Tai Yip Construction Company. Sub-contractors and suppliers in- cluded.-
LIFTS: Otis Elevator Company. GAS FITTINGS: Hong Kong and China Gas Co. Ltd.
PRIMER AND ENAMEL: Duro Paint Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Duro red lead primer and Duro synthetic enamel).
WINDOW FRAMES: Steel Windows Ltd.
Morlite
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were
construction of the building. but urethane polymers were used in several instances during the finishing and fitting-out of the building. All the office doors
constructed from plywood-faced laminates filled with a rigid foam prepared from a Daltolac 41 Suprasec D Arcton 11 mixture. These doors
thus very light, yet strong and free from any tendency to warp as the build- ing dried out.
were
The excellent cushioning proper ties of flexible urethane foam pre- pared from Daltocel SF and Suprasee SF Were utilized in the upholstery of the office chairs and also in carpet underlay.
was
An important application that of lacquers consisting of ure thane polymer compositions based on Suprasec KN-cured Daltolac sys- terris. These lacquers are charac-
106
terized by their high gloss and ex- tremely high resistance to wear. They were used, therefore, to coat all wooden surfaces, for example window sills and external doors. The office furniture was likewise treated with urethane lacquer to minimize surface damage.
Results Eminently Satisfactory
The overall effect of using urethane polymers in the various applications described has been to produce a warm. attractive building that is easy to maintain and com- fortable to work in. The various applications of urethane polymers, in particular of the rigid foams, were essentially exploratory in character.
It was known that rigid urethane foams had strength and insulation properties that made them eminently suitable for use in building, but they had to be evaluated from the point
of view of ease of use during build- ing operations. and actual efficiency in a completed building. The evalua tion has been accomplished satisfac torily in the building described in this paper. and it is confidently ex- pected that continued exploitation and development of applications of this type will help the building trades to reduce costs while main taining or improving the high con- structional standards expected by industry.
References
1. J. C. Stainton. Trans. Inst. Chem. Eng.. 1959, 37. Feb. A38-41.
2. R. J. Fabian. Mat. Des. Eng..
1958. 47, March. 119-138.
3. G. Laing (Miller Insulation & Engng. Co. Ltd.). Paper to 10th International Congress
of Refrigeration. Copenhagen, August, 1959.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER – VOLUME 18. NUMBER 2