FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1992
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PRE-WAR BUILDINGS IN CENTRAL DECLARED DANGEROUS
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THE BUILDING AUTHORITY TODAY (FRIDAY) DECLARED FIVE PRE-WAR
BUILDINGS ON TUNG MAN STREET IN CENTRAL DANGEROUS, AND 10 OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE SAME STREET LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS.
THE BUILDINGS DECLARED DANGEROUS ARE AT 3, 5, 19, 29 AND 31 TUNG MAN STREET, AND THOSE LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS ARE AT 7, 9, 21, 23, 25, 27, 33, 35, 37 AND 39 OF THE STREET.
IN A STATEMENT ISSUED THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING, THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING SURVEYOR SAID ALL THE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT BEFORE THE WAR.
THEY ALL HAD LOAD-BEARING WALLS AND NEARLY ALL HAD TIMBER FLOOR AND ROOF JOISTS, HE ADDED.
THE BUILDINGS AT 15 AND 17 OF THE STREET WERE A PARTIALLY REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAMED STRUCTURE WITH LOAD-BEARING PARTY-WALLS SHARED WITH THOSE AT 13 AND 19.
SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF DILAPIDATION.
THE LOAD-BEARING PARTY-WALLS IN A NUMBER OF CASES WERE CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE AS EVIDENCED BY MANY FRACTURES IN AND THROUGH THE PARTY-WALLS, ERODED BRICKWORK AND BULGING PARTY-WALLS,
THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE STRUCTURAL TIMBER MEMBERS IN THE BUILDINGS WAS POOR WITH DEFECTIVE TIMBERS IN NEARLY ALL THE BUILDINGS, IN PARTICULAR THE ROOFS.
THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDINGS LED TO CONCERN OVER PUBLIC SAFETY IN THIS NARROW AND WELL-USED PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE AS EVIDENCED BY THE TEMPORARY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN RESPECT OF SOME BUILDINGS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET AT 20-26 AND 30.
THESE BUILDINGS WERE CLOSED UNDER EMERGENCY ORDERS ON NOVEMBER 3 THIS YEAR OWING TO IMMINENT DANGER ARISING FROM SEVERE DEFECTS IN THE STRUCTURAL WALLS AND TIMBER STRUCTURAL MEMBERS.
THE BUILDINGS AT 11 AND 13 OF TUNG MAN STREET WERE CLOSED EARLIER BECAUSE OF THEIR DANGEROUS CONDITION AND ARE AWAITING DEMOLITION.
THE BUILDINGS AT 3-9 AND 19-39 OF TUNG MAN STREET ARE STRUCTURALLY DEPENDANT ON EACH OTHER POR SUPPORT AND CANNOT WITHSTAND DEMOLITION OF ADJOINING BUILDINGS.
THEY SHOULD ALL BE DEMOLISHED IN ONE OPERATION IN THE INTERESTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY ALONG WITH THOSE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF
THE STREET.
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