TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1984
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USING OSM, THE PROJECT SECTION OF THE EPA'S NOISE AND VIBRATION GROUP HAS SO FAR INVESTIGATED TWO PUBLIC HOUSING BLOCK LAYOUTS FOR PROJECTS IN JUNK BAY.
STAFF OF THE SECTION WILL TEST THE ASM SYSTEM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE APPLYING IT TO ACTUAL STUDIES.
DR BROWN'S WORK ON THE SUBJECT WAS INSPIRED BY A VISIT TO JAPAN IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR, WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO SEE THE MODELLING TECHNIQUES WHICH ENGINEERS WERE USING TO PREDICT THE NOISE IMPACT OF TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
IN COMMON WITH TOKYO AND OTHER JAPANESE CITIES, HONG KONG HAS A HIGH POPULATION DENSITY. BUT THE TERRITORY'S URBAN FORM IS DIFFERENT IN THAT MUCH OF ITS POPULATION HAVE DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT TO BUSY ROADWAYS.
ALSO, THE HIGHRISE DEVELOPMENT HERE DOES NOT PROVIDE THE URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH NORMALLY PROTECTS URBAN POPULATIONS FROM ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE IN OTHER CITIES SO THAT AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO NOISE CONTROL IS REQUIRED.
DR BROWN EXPLAINED THAT CREATING A BUFFER ZONE+ BETWEEN BUILDINGS AND ROADWAYS IS UNREALISTIC IN HONG KONG BECAUSE OF LAND SHORTAGES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, NOISE INSULATION SUCH AS DOUBLE GLAZING WIDELY ADOPTED FOR BUILDINGS IN COLDER COUNTRIES, IS OFTEN IMPRACTICAL IN HONG KONG'S TROPICAL CLIMATE, AS AIR-CONDITIONING OR VENTILATION SYSTEMS WILL BE REQUIRED TO ENSURE ADEQUATE AIR SUPPLY IN THE INNER ROOMS.
+FOR THESE REASONS, WE MUST ADOPT DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS, DR BROWN STRESSED.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, HONG KONG HAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT OTHER COUNTRIES LACK: WE HAVE COMPREHENSIVE NEW TOWN PLANNING IN WHICH THE LAYOUT OF BUILDINGS AND ROADWAYS CAN OFTEN BE DETERMINED SIMULTANEOUSLY.
+THIS MEANS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE LARGE-SCALE NOISE CONTROL IN OUR NEW URBAN DESIGNS, RELYING ON THE FORMS AND POSITIONING OF BUILDINGS AND ROADWAY ENCLOSURE TO REDUCE RESIDENTS' EXPOSURE TO TRAFFIC NOISE, DR BROWN SAID.