STEEL FRAME SAVES
IN HANG SENG
Banking hall on first floor sets new fashion
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TWO
PROBLEMS
had to be solved before the first plan could be drawn of the new Hang Seng Bank headquarters in Des Voeux Road. Hong Kong, which is now in full ase.
First it was decided that a steel frame of plastic design, using uni- versal beams and universal sections joined by welding. would be the most suitable skeleton. So, before detailed drawing began. Dorman Long B. and E.) Ltd. were invited to send out their experts for con- -ultations and inspection. They were told broadly what was want- ed. they looked at the site, they had discussions with the architect. Mr.
T. C. Yuen, took away meteorolo. gical records for many years past and put their computors to work back in England.
When the computor had digested all the figures and given the answers it was decided that the planning for
a
steel frame building could go ahead. And all the calculations were correcct. as Typhoon Wanda quickly proved. because the new building rode the storm easily.
Main entrance to the Hang Seng Bank, showing shops on ground floor level and entrance to the Bank with stairs in centre, flanked on either side by escalators.
The steel frame construction was chosen for two reasons: speed in erection and lightness. The universal beams and sections made it possible to erect two floors at the same time In the United States three floors have been successfully erected in one operation. but because of the trafh congestion in Hong Kong it wa found that the 30 foot columns which would have been necessary could not be manoeuvred without causing tou great a blockage on adjacent roads so it was necessary to confine opera tions to two floors at one time.
The total tonnage of steel used in the Hang Seng Bank, including elec trodes. was 2.324 tons, which i
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