LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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The Slope Maintenance Audit Section of the CED continues to assist maintenance departments to improve their performance in discharging their slope maintenance responsibilities. Audits of government slope works indicate a continuous improvement in the overall state of maintenance.
The department maintains a 24-hour year-round emergency service to provide geotechnical advice to government departments on actions to be taken to protect the public against landslide danger. To further improve the landslip emergency service, it has upgraded its computerised information system and telecommunication facilities to enhance its efficiency in handling landslide information and emergency calls.
The CED continues with various studies to improve the knowledge and methodology of dealing with natural terrain landslide hazards. Besides the regional study of natural terrain hazards in the Tsing Shan Foothills, which is near completion, the department has commenced a study on dating of natural terrain landslides. Natural terrain hazard studies have been arranged for four sites in developed areas, and design of natural terrain hazard mitigation works are being carried out for five sites. In 2002, technical guidelines for natural terrain hazard studies were produced and distributed to geotechnical practitioners.
During the year, the department completed a study of non-destructive means for measuring the length of installed soil nails. The findings were documented in a report for dissemination to geotechnical practitioners.
The Geotechnical Information Unit in the Civil Engineering Library houses the largest collection of geotechnical data in Hong Kong. The library is open to the public, and served more than 37 500 users during 2002.
The CED also provides construction material testing and ground investigation services to support public works projects. The Public Works Laboratories (PWL) (consisting of the Public Works Central Laboratory at Kowloon Bay and five Public Works Regional Laboratories in various parts of Hong Kong) conduct testing of construction material and calibration tests. During the year, some 700 000 tests were carried out through the PWL under the department's ground investigation term contracts, and the length of soil and rock drilled totalled 27 000 metres.
The CED continued to provide specialist geotechnical advisory services to government departments, including the provision of ad hoc geotechnical advice and conducting feasibility studies, detailed investigations, design and construction supervision for a wide range of public works projects. The projects handled by the department during the year included road widening and slope works at Lin Tak Road, Lam Tin; road widening and mitigation of natural terrain landslides at Tsing Yi North Coastal Road; design and supervision of geotechnical works for the Shenzhen River Stage III Project; and mitigation of natural terrain landslides affecting Yung Shue Wan Reclamation (Phase 1).
Mining and Quarrying
The CED enforces legislation relating to mining, quarrying and explosives, and administers quarrying contracts. It processes applications for the manufacture, storage, conveyance and use of explosives, and inspects stone quarries, blasting sites and explosives stores.