VALUATION
OFFICE
& RESUMPTION
com- the
was 4712.34 million gallons as against Service Reservoir work was 4192.84 million gallons on the 31st menced on the roofing and December 1952—an increase of 519.50 reconstruction of a section of the million gallons.
north wall of the reservoir; work on several supply and irrigation pro- jects for the New Territories con- tinued.
ment departments.
The valuations submitted by this office during the period under review included 32 lots amounting to $7,594.- The workshop was kept fully occu- 637 on lease renewals; 28 lots valued pied and 469 orders were completed at $112.560 for exchanges: 7 heredita- in connection with the maintenance ments valued at $3.668.580 for estate of the Waterworks and 11 orders duty purposes: and $3.020.589 for were completed for other Govern- submitted an estimate of the cost of purchase, sale, removal of restrictive covenants, etc. Valuations for re- sumption amounted to $5,306.088 for 75 lots. As a result of the Shek Kip Mei fire.
a plan and resumption schedule were prepared for resump- tion under the Emergency Regula- tions, and the preparation of data and valuation was in hand.
WATERWORKS OFFICE
58.192 feet of new mains were laid during the quarter. 14.869 accounts fer water consumption and 1.321 demand notes for deposits issued.
were
Messrs. Binnie. Deacon & Gourley
completing the Tai Lam Chung Dam to its full height, constructing the low gap dams and for increasing the capacity of the pumping plant, treat- ment works and aqueducts to deal with a maximum rate of supply of 20 million gallons per day at Lai Chi Kok. Estimates were also prepared New works included the comple- for the work to be done under local tion of the laying of the 27" main supervision to put the extra 10 mil- between the new Queen's Pier and lion gallons per day of water into Chater Road for the cross harbour distribution. and approval was ob- Although the total amount of rain- pipeline diversion; tenders were also tained to proceed with the extended fall during the quarter was 6.886 invited for laying of the 27" pipeline scheme. Survey work was continud inches as against an average of 7.043 in Garden Road between Queen's on the tunnels and pipe lines and inches, the total amount of water in Road and the Service Reservoir in further boring was done at the sub- storage on the 31st December 1953 the Botanical Garden; at the Albany sidiary dam sites.
AUSTRALIAN NEWSLETTER
Consisting of items of interest to architects and members of the building industry contained in Technical Progress Newsletter No. 98. issued by the Department of the Interior of the Commonwealth of Australia and prepared by Mr. Charles Lynch. Adaptable Window Frames
An Australian company in Mel- bourne has developed a standard window system. bv use of which various types of "window walls" may
be built to contain fixed glass instal- lations, opening sashes and French type doors. in any combination.
The design is based upon the joint- ing of individual members or sections. Its flexibility enables almost any type
of window to be constructed. The joint is accurately cut, and is of a tvoe common to the furniture indus trv. but not hitherto applied to build-
ine. The basic unit is a three ft. wide frame. either four ft. or seven ft. high. The frame can be tooned by a second unit to make a window which extends from a three ft sill to the ceiling, or from the floor to the ceiling, whichever is required.
the loading, and the fixing of floor return if the forest is to be economi- materials. Electrical or plumbing cally sound. The pine forests are devices may then be run through expected to yield nearly 700,000 suner- the web area without expensive cut- ting in, or complicated nige bands. Standard Steel Co.. 429 King Street.
Melbourne. Victoria). Technique for Treating Corroded Pipes
The pines.
officers of the Australian Common-
search Organisation.
feet of timber this year, worth £A3.- 500.000 as felled. (Forest Products Division. CS.I.R.O.. Yarra Bank Road. South Melbourne. Victoria). Glue from Tree Waste in Australia The problem of economically re-
The possibilities of utilising the placing corroded water pines haS tannin waste from a number of local been solved by a device invented in trees have been opened up in Aus- Melbourne. Australia, by an engineer tralia by the manufacture of cold of the Board of Works. which run between street mains and glue for the furnishing trades. by household taps, deteriorate with soil wealth Scientific and Industrial Re- contact. The technique adopted is to sand-blast the corroded parts. which increases the pipe's diameter Furniture makers use large quan- sufficiently to insert a copper tube tities of glue for bonding plywood inside the old galvanised piping. The and veneers. Formerly animal glue. method enables the Board of Works made from slaughter-house waste. to cut the cost of pine replacements and applied hot. was used. This was by more than £A65,000 a year. Mel- followed by cold casein glue (made Any section can be fitted with bourne & Metropolitan Board of from waste skim milk) and synthetic glass, and any of the top sections Works. Spencer Street. Melbourne. resins (plastics) were other types. with a fan-light. The Australian Victoria).
But success with some of the enor- manufacturers also supply standard
tannin-contain- quantities of assemblies which
Straightening Twists in Pine Timber mous are suitable for
ing bark-normally wasted in the sloping ceilings, gable ends. and There are 230.000 acres of pine
forest products industry has opened other special requirements. (Stegbar forests in Australia. which were the way for preparation of a cheap Products. Cr Aberdeen and Bay established
to provide supplies of and useful type of cold glue. It has Roads, Sandringham, Victoria).
softwoods, which are largely lacking been found that tannin from black in the natural forests. Unfortunate- wattle, and black and white cypress New Building Joists
ly, many of these beautifully straight pines make the best cold product. young trees in the various States. Preliminary work showed that these yield timber that twists, sometimes glues set too quickly, and hardened so badly as to be almost unusable. before machine rollers could set
now
Open web joists for building con- struction are
being made in Australia under licence from Domi- nion Structural Steel Limited. of Canada. They are cheaper to produce than the usual timber joists. are lighter to handle, and enable quicker working. When they are placed in position, a simple fixing member is joined to the underside of the top chord. and the attachment is then tied at the ends to the adjoining wall. This leaves the joist ready for
Timber research organisations are them. Recenty the research workers devoting considerable attention to have found a way to slow the setting this problem, which is of importance of the glues without spoiling their to the building and furnishing trades bonding strength, and they are ex- industries. In Australia pine planta- pected to be of importance to the tions yield at about the age of ten furnishing manufacturers. and to years, when the first thinnings are other industries which use plywood removed to allow the remaining trees and veneer. (Forest Products Divi- more room to develop. The thinnings sion. C.S.I.R.O.. Yarra Bank Road, must bring an adequate financial South Melbourne, Victoria).
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