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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1976
LANDSLIDE INVESTIGATION TEAM MEETS PWD DIRECTOR ******
MEMBERS OF THE GROUP OF EXPERTS ASSISTING IN THE SAU MAU PING LANDSLIDE INVESTIGATION TODAY MET THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. WILLIAM BELL, OTHER SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE P.W.D. AND ITS CONSULTANTS BINNIE AND PARTNERS TO DISCUSS INITIAL PROGRESS IN THE INVESTIGATION.
AT THE MEETING HELD AT P.W.D. HEADQUARTERS IN MURRAY BUILDING -- THE TWO LATEST MEMBERS TO JOIN THE GROUP OF EXPERTS WERE BRIEFED ON THE WORK DONE SO FAR, AND ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE LINES OF THE INVESTIGATION BEING UNDERTAKEN.
THE TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE GROUP ARE PROFESSOR
NORBERT MORGENSTERN, OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, AND MR. BRIAN RICHARDS, PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST WITH AUSTRALIA'S COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION.
MR. RICHARDS, THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE GROUP OF EXPERTS, ARRIVED IN HONG KONG LATE LAST NIGHT.
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. WILLIAM BELL, SAID TODAY MR. RICHARDS WAS PARTICULARLY FAMILIAR WITH SOIL PROBLEMS ARISING IN THE HONG KONG SITUATION, AND LAST YEAR HAD MADE A SPECIAL VISIT TO HONG KONG FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH BINNIE AND PARTNERS IN CONNECTION WITH PHASE II OF THE TERRITORY-WIDE LANDSLIP STUDY.
MR. RICHARDS WORKS IN THE C.S.I.R.O.'S DIVISION OF APPLIED GEOMECHANICS, AND HAD DONE MANY YEARS STUDY IN THE PARTICULAR FIELD OF SOIL MECHANICS INVOLVED IN THE SAL MAU PING INVESTIGATION.
+HE HAS DEVELOPED METHODS OF MEASURING CONDITIONS SUCH AS EXIST IN MOST OF THE HONG KONG SLOPES TO BE STUDIED, + SAID MR. BELL, +AND HAS PRODUCED THEORIES ABOUT THE EFFECTS ARISING WHEN THESE SOILS BECOME SATURATED -- AS WAS THE CASE AT SAU MAU PING.
+ IN FACT HE HAS PUBLISHED MANY PAPERS ON THE SUBJECT, AND CONTRIBUTED THE SECTION ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF UNSATURATED SOILS'
IN THE BOOK SOIL MECHANICS - NEW HORIZONS' PUBLISHED IN 1974.+
ALSO AT TODAY'S MEETING IN P.W.D. HEADQUARTERS WERE THE HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THE GROUP OF EXPERTS -- PROFESSOR SEAN MACKAY, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, AND MR. PETER LUME, A READER IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY -- AND THE P.M.D.'S DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR. DAVID STEAD= AND PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL ENGIVEER, MR. BRYAN OʻRÜRKÉ.
AFTER THE MEETING, MR. BELL SAID IT WAS NOW EXPECTED THAT A REPORT ON THE SAU MAU PING LANDSLIDE MOULD BE READY IN EARLY DECEMBER. THE BINNIE AND PARTNERS FINAL REPORT WOULD BE REVIEWED BY THE GROUP OF EXPERTS. WHO WOULD SUBMIT AN INDEPENDENT STATEMENT TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS ON ITS CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
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