SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1992
GUIDE TO CAVERN ENGINEERING ON SALE
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THE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE (GEO) OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS ADDED ANOTHER NEW TITLE, "GUIDE ENGINEERING", TO ITS PORTFOLIO OF PUBLICATIONS.
THE CIVIL TO CAVERN
THE 156-PAGE GEOGUIDE, AT $36 A COPY, IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE.
THE BOOKLET, THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF GEOGUIDES, PRESENTS A RECOMMENDED STANDARD OF GOOD PRACTICE FOR THE CIVIL ENGINEERING ASPECTS OF ROCK CAVERN APPLICATIONS IN HONG KONG.
IT IS AIMED AT PROVIDING DESIGNERS AND REGULATORY AUTHORITIES GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PRODUCE COST-EFFECTIVE AND SAFE INTEGRATED DESIGNS.
VIEWS OF INDIVIDUALS
LOCAL AND ABROAD, HAVE BEEN DOCUMENT.
AND ORGANISATIONS IN THE FIELD, BOTH TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN FINALISING THE
THE NEW TITLE WAS CONCEPTUALISED IN CONNECTION WITH THE STUDY OF THE POTENTIAL USE OF UNDERGROUND SPACE (SPUN) INITIATED BY GEO EARLIER.
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, DR ANDREW MALONE, SAID SPUN CONFIRMED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERGROUND SPACE IN MAN-MADE ROCK CAVERNS IN HONG KONG COULD BE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ABOVE GROUND, AND ONE WHICH COULD CONFER SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
CITING AN EXAMPLE, DR MALONE SAID CONSTRUCTION HAD RECENTLY STARTED FOR AN UNDERGROUND SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AT STANLEY WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO BE OPERATIONAL BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
STUDIES ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN FOR TWO OTHER UNDERGROUND SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS, ONE AT MOUNT DAVIS WHICH FORMS PART OF THE $12 BILLION STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME AND THE OTHER AT SHAM TSENG.
PLANS ARE ALSO BEING PREPARED TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF HOUSING A NEW REFUSE TRANSFER STATION IN A MAN-MADE ROCK CAVERN AT MOUNT DAVIS, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF POTENTIAL USE FOR CAVERNS.
"THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASING INTEREST IN HONG KONG IN PLACING FACILITIES UNDERGROUND,
"THIS INTEREST HAS BEEN RISEN BECAUSE OF THE CONSIDERABLE PLANNING AND COST ADVANTAGES THAT CAN BE REALISED AND AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE CAVERN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED ELSEWHERE FOR ROCK CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND IN HONG KONG, DR MALONE SAID.
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HE POINTED OUT THAT PLACING CERTAIN ACTIVITIES UNDERGROUND WOULD RELEASE LAND FOR OTHER USES AND YIELD POTENTIAL PLANNING BENEFITS.
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