XN000022-1976-05-12 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1976

WIDER CONTROLS ON NIGHT PILING ON THE WAY

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NEW LEGISLATION IS BEING DRAFTED TO EXTEND AND WIDEN THE SCOPE OF THE BAN ON NIGHT PILING TO COVER OTHER NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON, DAVID MCDONALD SAID TODAY.

HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IT WAS HOPED THAT AN AMENDING BILL WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

MR. MCDONALD SAID THE BILL WOULD NOT ONLY PROLONG THE PRESENT 8 P.M. - 6 A.M. RESTRICTION ON NIGHT PILING BY TWO HOURS, BUT WOULD ALSO APPLY THE PROHIBITION TO OTHER NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT SO THAT ALL SUCH OPERATIONS WOULD BE BANNED BETWEEN 7 P.M. AND 7 A.M.

IN ADDITION, IT WOULD PROVIDE FOR A TOTAL BAN OF SUCH OPERATIONS ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON. LI FOOK-WO, MR. MCDONALD SAID IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED PRACTICABLE AT THIS TIME TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO MAKE THE USE OF QUIETER PILING EQUIPMENT MANDATORY, DUE TO A LACK OF SUCH EQUIPMENT IN HONG KONG.

+THE FEW FIRMS WHICH HAVE PILE-BORING EQUIPMENT DO NOT POSSESS A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF RIGS TO CARRY OUT ALL THE PILING WORK REQUIRED BY MY ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE, TO SAY NOTHING OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF OTHER OFFICES OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OR OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HE SAID,

OF THE ESTIMATED 15 PILING FIRMS IN HONG KONG, HE NOTED, 12 WERE EQUIPPED ONLY FOR PERCUSSIVE PILING OPERATIONS.

HE SAID : +BORED PILING, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS NOISY THAN PERCUSSION PILING, IS ALREADY WIDELY USED IN FOUNDATION WORKS IN HONG KONG, BUT THE SYSTEM IS NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERY TYPE OF PROJECT.+

AND WHILE THERE WERE OTHER TYPES OF PILING EQUIPMENT WHICH WERE QUIETER IN OPERATION THAN NORMAL PERCUSSION SYSTEMS, NO SUCH EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN TESTED 'IN HONG KONG CONDITIONS NOR WERE THEY AVAILABLE HERE, HE SAID.

MR. MCDONALD NOTED THAT THE PROBLEM OF NOISE CREATED BY PILING OPERATIONS HAD BEEN DISCUSSED FOR SOME TIME IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS AND IN THE NOISE POLLUTION SUB-COMMITTEE OF EPCOM, BUT THERE WAS NO QUICK AND EASY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

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