XN000022-1976-07-28 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1976

BUILDING INDUSTRY URGED TO GO METRIC WITHOUT DELAY

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HONG KONG'S BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION FIR 13 WERE TODAY URTED NOT TO DELAY IN ADAPTING THEMSELVES TO METRICATION AS THE TIME FOR A CHANGEOVER TO METRIC UNITS IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY WAS RAPIDLY DRAWING NEAR.

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MR. MARK LUXTON, GOVERNMENT QUANTITY SURVEYOR OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, REMINDED THE INDUSTRY TODAY THAT THERE WERE ONLY FIVE MONTHS LEFT BEFORE IT WAS EXPECTED TO BECOME COMPULSORY FOR BUILDING PLANS TO BE SUBMITTED EXCLUSIVELY IN METRIC UNITS.

+ONCE THE DATE FOR METRIC SUBMISSIONS IS FORMALLY GAZETTED, EXCEPTIONS TO THE REQUIREMENT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN, + HE WARNED.

+THOSE WHO ARE AUTHORISED UNDER THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE TO SUBMIT PLANS FOR APPROVAL WOULD THEREFORE BE WELL ADVISED TO TAKE EVERY ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME LEFT TO TRAIN THEIR STAFF IN THE USE OF METRIC TERMS, IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, HE SAID.

MR. LUXTON SAID THAT ALTHOUGH NOT YET FORMALLY GAZETTED LOCAL ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS HAD BEEN KEPT FULLY INFORMED OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO REQUIRE SUBMISSION FOR NEW WORKS MADE ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 1977 TO BE EXCLUSIVELY IN METRIC.

HE RECALLED THAT LAST NOVEMBER THE P.W.D.'S BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE HAD, AS AN INTERIM MEASURE, ISSUED A SPECIAL SCHEDULE SHOWING EXACT METRIC EQUIVALENTS FOR IMPERIAL MEASUREMENTS CONTAINED IN THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE SO AS TO ASSIST APPLICANTS IN PREPARING METRIC BUILDING PLANS.

THE B.0.0., WHICH IS THE CONTROLLING AGENCY FOR BUILDING LEGISLATION, IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATING ALL EXISTING BUILDING ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS INTO METRIC TERMS.

IN ANOTHER EFFORT TO HELP AUTHORISED APPLICANTS IN ADAPTING THEMSELVES TO METRICATION, THE B.0.0. HAD SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR GIVEN APPLICANTS THE OPTION OF SUBMITTING BUILDING PLANS FOR APPROVAL IN EITHER IMPERIAL OR METRIC UNITS, HE SAID.

HOWEVER, THE OPTIONAL PERIOD WAS NOW COMING T AN END AI.) HE STRONGLY ADVISED AUTHORISED APPLICANTS TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE CHANGEOVER. THE P.W.D., HE SAID, WAS READY TO OFFER ADVICE, INFORMATION AND DATA ON REQUEST.

MR. LUXTON SAID A WORKING PARTY OF THE P.W.D.'S STEERING COMMITTEE ON METRICATION, OF WHICH HE IS CHAIRMAN, HAD ALSO PREPARED A GLOSSARY OF S.1. TERMINOLOGY IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TOGETHER WITH A COMPREHENSIVE BUT SIMPLY STATED BOOKLET WHICH WOULD BE PUBLISHED SOON FOR USE BY BUILDING AND ENGINEERING TRADESMEN.

/THE WORKING