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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1985
+STRUCTURAL SURVEYS ON ESTATE BLOCKS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS AND HAVE FORMED PART OF THE AUTHORITY'S ON-GOING MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME FOR PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
+WORKS IN THIS ASPECT INCLUDE VISUAL INSPECTION AND GRADING, CONCRETE CORING AND ULTRA SONIC TESTING.
+EXTENSIVE LABORATORY TESTINGS ARE MADE ON THE CONCRETE CORES OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES TO DETERMINE THE IR CEMENT CONTENT, CRUSHING STRENGTH, SURFACE PH, OVERALL PH, CHLORIDE CONTENT, DENSITY AND DEPTH OF CARBONATION.
+ THE LAST NAMED TEST, FOR EXAMPLE, MEASURES THE DETERIORATION OF THE OUTSIDE SURFACE DUE TO INVASION BY AGGRESSIVE ATMOSPHER IC COMPOUNDS.+
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN SAID THAT, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ACCURATE RESULTS WHICH WOULD HELP TO DETERMINE HOW MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT WORKS SHOULD BEST PROCEED, UP TO DATE TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCE EQUIPMENT WERE USED DURING INSPECTIONS AND SURVEYS, FOLLOWED BY EXTENSIVE COMPUTER ANALYSES.
THE TESTS WERE DONE ON BEAMS, WALLS AND FLOORS. THE RESULTS OF THE TESTS HAVE ALSO TO BE CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, ITS RIGIDITY AS A WHOLE AND STATE OF LOADING.
+TO CARRY OUT LIMITED TESTS ON JUST ONE PART OF A BUILDING CAN GIVE A MISLEADING IMPRESSION OF THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE BUILDING.+
AS REGARDS THE ON-GOING MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN SAID THAT MAJOR REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS WERE CARRIED OUT WHERE NECESSARY TO ENSURE ALL ESTATE BLOCKS WERE KEPT IN GOOD SHAPE AT ALL TIMES.
+THIS INCLUDES COMPLETE RENOVATION OF FLATS, THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF DRAINAGE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS DETAILED DAY TO DAY MAINTENANCE OF THE HOUSING STOCK.
+THE AUTHORITY ALSO PLACES GREAT STRESS ON A PLANNED PROGRAMME OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.+
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