SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 1991
1
HIGH PRIORITY SET FOR SLOPE SAFETY
THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO GIVE HIGH PRIORITY TO SLOPE SAFETY IN HONG KONG IN TERMS OF RESOURCES BEING EXPENDED AND POSITIVE ACTIONS BEING TAKEN.
ROUTINE CONTROL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING CHECKING THE GEOTECHNICAL DESIGNS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK, CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE (GCO) OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL IS NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT UNSAFE SLOPES, RETAINING WALLS AND SITE FORMATION WORKS ARE NOT CONSTRUCTED, AND THAT EXISTING UNSAFE SLOPES AND WALLS ARE MADE SAFE.
ABOUT HALF OF THE GCO'S PROFESSIONAL STAFF ARE COMMITTED ΤΟ THESE DUTIES.
THE GEOTECHNICAL
מין'
CONTROL. OFFICE 15 CONTINUING
PURSUE VIGOROUSLY THE LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURES PROGRAMME WHICH WAS INITIATED IN 1976.
THIS PROGRAMME PROVIDES FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS AND THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF STABILISATION MEASURES TO UNSAFE GOVERNMENT SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS.
THE INVESTIGATIONS, DESIGNS AND CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION CARRIED OUT ENTIRELY IN-HOUSE BY THE GCO, AND AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION FUNDS IS PROVIDED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
ARE
OF
SINCE 1976, ALMOST $865 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ON STUDIES WORKS TO STABILISE NEARLY 600 SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS.
AND
CONTINUING GOVERNMENT
EXPENDITURE ON THE LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE PROGRAMME IS AT A RATE OF ABOUT $70 MILLION PER YEAR, AND ANNUAL EXPENDITURE ON SLOPE MAINTENANCE IS ADDITIONALLY ABOUT $40 MILLION.
DURING THE 1990/91 FINANCIAL YEAR, STABILISATION WERE COMPLETED ON 39 SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS, AND WORKS COMMENCED ON 25 OTHERS.
OF THESE 64 SLOPES AND WALLS, 35 WERE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, 12 IN KOWLOON AND 17 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE
EXPENDITURE DURING THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR WAS ABOUT 965
MILLION.
IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1991/92, WORKS WILL BE IN PROGRESS ON A TOTAL OF 56 SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS, OF WHICH 27 ARE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, 12 IN KOWLOON AND 17 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THESE COMPRISE 41 SOIL AND ROCK SLOPES, THREE LOOSE FILL SLOPES AND 12 RETAINING WALLS.
/THE EXPENDITURE