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During the construction period, the Housing Department's consultants are also responsible for proper site supervision and monitoring to ensure that piling work does not cause any significant ground subsidence, or adversely affect the safety of buildings in the vicinity. After the new buildings have been constructed, the Geotechnical Engineering Office will continue to monitor any site and building settlement for an appropriate period, normally several years.
The standard procedures described above have been followed in the case of public housing construction in Ma On Shan Area 90 to ensure building safety. Detailed investigations were carried out under the supervision of the Housing Department's consultants between 1989 and 1993, in consultation with the Housing Department and the Geotechnical Engineering Office. Piling work then began in early 1993, and the project is to be completed in six phases between 1996 and 2000.
As regards the specific question asked by Mr Choy, through careful planning and foundation design, development of buildings in the Scheduled Area is feasible and safe. A minor, localised subsidence took place during piling work in Phase 5 of the project. There has been no suggestion from any of the concerned parties that this minor subsidence itself will affect the buildings in the earlier four phases or other structures in the vicinity. In other words, no effects have been caused.
As I said in my reply to the question from the Hon Emily Lau last week (15) November), the piling contractor considers it unsafe to carry on with the work. The Housing Department's consultants hold the view that it is safe to continue, given the specialist design of the piling work and the detailed technical requirements specified in the contract. As a result, the Housing Department has instructed these two parties to re-examine the design and details of the piling work, and to reconcile their differences. Should the disagreement between the two parties continue after the re-examination. the Housing Authority may have to consider resorting to third party arbitration.
End/Wednesday, November 22, 1995