CAP. 123]
Buildings.
[s. 11 cont.] ing throughout its whole thickness and at such level as the Building Authority may require.
Construction of foundations.
Retaining walls.
(2) Every external or enclosure wall which abuts against the earth shall be protected by a vertical damp-proof course set in a position satisfactory to the Building Authority.
[22]
12. The foundation of every wall of a building shall be of footings of sound stone, brick, concrete, or other equally hard substance, carried down to a depth of not less than twice the thickness of the wall in the lowest storey of the said building; and the lowest course of every such foundation shall be of a width of not less than twice the thickness of the wall in the said lowest storey, and the width of such foundation shall diminish gradually towards the upper surface thereof in regular steps or offsets: Provided that on rock or hard ground of an incompressible nature, or in sandy, unstable or soft ground, the Building Authority may permit or require the foundations of all works and buildings to be of such special depth and width and of such materials as shall be approved by him as being in each particular case applicable to such ground.
[23]
13. (1) Retaining walls shall be constructed of masonry, brickwork or cement-concrete. Such walls when constructed of masonry or brickwork shall be properly bonded and built solid throughout in cement-mortar or when built in masonry may be laid dry.
(2) Every retaining wall shall be provided with one or more adequate foundation courses of cement-concrete laid at right angles to the face of the wall on solid ground or piling and each course shall not be less than 12 inches in depth and shall project at least 6 inches beyond the face of such wall and shall extend the full thickness of such wall. All masonry and brick walls exceeding 12 feet in height shall be provided with lacing or bond courses of good cement-concrete at least one foot in depth extending throughout the full thickness of the wall. The lacing courses shall be thoroughly keyed into the wall on their upper and lower beds. The distance between the top of the foundation courses and first of such lacing courses and the distance between any two adjacent lacing courses shall
470
1