TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1981
+THEREFORE THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO MAKE THE FACTUAL SITE INVESTIGATION INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO AUTHORISED PERSONS *ND ALSO TO PUBLISH IN THE NEW YEAR REPORTS CONCERNING DETAILS AND RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS ON GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY AND SOIL PROPERTIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
GIVING AN INDICATION OF THE NATURE OF THE LEGISLATION BEING DRAFTED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE CONTROLS WOULD REQUIRE FROM DEVELOPERS A HIGHER STANDARD OF GEOTECHNICAL INPUT THAN IN CURRENT PRACTICE.
TO ENSURE THAT THE GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN OF NEW BUILDING WORKS IS BASED ON RELIABLE INFORMATION OF THE GROUND CONDITIONS, THE QUALITY OF SITE INVESTIGATIONS AND LABORATORY TESTING MUST BE OF A HIGH STANDARD AND THE STANDARDS TO BE APPLIED WOULD BE SUBJECT TO PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE BUILDING AUTHORITY.
DURING CONSTRUCTION THE GROUND CONDITIONS AND BUILDING WORKS SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND MONITORED REGULARLY BY THE AUTHORISED PERSON TO ENSURE THAT THE ORIGINAL GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN ASSUMPTION REMAINED VALID AND, IF NOT, THAT APPROPRIATE DESIGN CHANGES WERE MADE. PRIOR TO THE GRANTING OF AN OCCUPATION PERMIT, THE AUTHORISED PERSON WOULD NEED TO SUBMIT A PERFORMANCE REVIEW CONSISTING OF CERTIFICATION AND SUPPORTING EVIDENCE THAT THE REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN MET,
*THE MOST CRITICAL STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION ARE USUALLY DEMOLITION AND EXCAVATION WHEN THEY LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN THE SUPPORT OF A SLOPE,+ THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED. HENCE TOO MUCH EMPHASIS CANNOT BE PLACED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING ADEQUATE GROUND SUPPORT DURING THIS WORK TO ENSURE THERE IS NO DANGER OF COLLAPSE.+
IN FUTURE, DEMOLITION AND EXCAVATION WORKS WHICH MAY IMPAIR STABILITY WOULD NEED TO BE DESIGNED AND SUPERVISED BY ENGINEERS, AND DETAILED PLANS FOR SUCH WORKS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY THE AUTHORISED PERSON TO THE BUILDING AUTHORITY FOR APPROVAL. THIS SHOULD GUARD AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR MAKING SIGNIFICANT ALTERATIONS TO THE SHORING SYSTEM AND THE WORKING PROCEDURES WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE OTHER PARTIES CONCERNED, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.
UNRESTRICTED BULK EXCAVATION FOR BASEMENTS AND CUTTINGS GENERALLY LEAD TO AN EXCESSIVE REDUCTION IN THE SUPPORT OF A SLOPE. THE SPOKESMAN SAID TO MINIMISE THE CUMULATIVE ADVERSE EFFECTS IN A SERIES OF ADJOINING SITES ON THE STABILITY OF A HILLSIDE, A LIMIT WOULD BE IMPOSED ON THE PERMITTED DEPTH OF BULK EXCAVATION AND THE AUTHORISED PERSON WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SHOW ON SITE FORMATION PLANS FOR ANY BUILDING WORKS THAT THIS LIMIT WAS NOT EXCEEDED.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH REDUCED SLOPE STABILITY WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE WATERTIGHT BARRIERS FOR NEW BASEMENTS, RETAINING WALLS AND FOUNDATIONS AS THIS IMPEDED THE NATURAL FLOW OF GROUND WATER DOWN THE SLOPE. IT IS INTENDED THAT WHERE THIS MIGHT OCCUR, THE BUILDING AUTHORITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO REQUIRE THAT GROUND WATER DRAINAGE MEASURES BE INCORPORATED IN THE WORKS.
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