XN000022-1976-10-01 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1976

FIRST MANUFACTURED SAND NOW ON SALE ******

THE FIRST SUPPLIES OF MANUFACTURED SAND UNDER A CONTRACT AWARDED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT GOES ON SALE TODAY (FRIDAY) AT THE SAND MONOPOLY DEPOT AT NORTH POINT.

MR. DICK PILLING, SENIOR ENGINEER OF THE P.W.D.'S QUARRIES SECTION, SAID TODAY THE PRICE OF MANUFACTURED SAND WOULD BE $35 PER CUBIC METRE (EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT $26.75 PER CUBIC YARD).

AT THE SAME TIME, MR. PILLING ANNOUNCED THAT THE PRICE OF NATURAL MARINE SAND FOR BUILDING PURPOSES WOULD BE REDUCED TO $37 PER CUBIC METRE (EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT $28.30 PER CUBIC YARD).

+THIS REDUCTION HAS BEEN LARGELY MADE POSSIBLE BY THE USE OF SAND FROM LOCAL WATERS WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE COVERED BY RECLAMATION FOR DEVELOPMENT AT TAI PO,+ HE SAID.

MR. PILLING SAID THE NEW PRICE OF $37 PER CUBIC METRE WOULD ALSO APPLY TO ROYALTY PAYMENTS FOR SAND COLLECTED FROM AUTHORISED SITES. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COLLECTION OF SMALL QUANTITIES FOR LOCAL VILLAGE AND COMMUNITY WORKS WHICH WOULD REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME AT $7.50 PER CUBIC METRE.

→THE EFFECT OF THE NEW PRICE STRUCTURE ON BUILDING COSTS IS ESTIMATED TO BE A REDUCTION OF ABOUT 0.5 PER CENT DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE STRUCTURE,+ HE SAID.

MR. PILLING SAID THAT EXTENSIVE TESTS CARRIED OUT ON MANUFACTURED SAND IN PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT LABORATORIES SHOW IT TO BE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY TO THE MARINE SAND IN CERTAIN ASPECTS, AND HE EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD COME TO BE WIDELY USED.

+ IT HAS THE ADVANTAGES OVER NATURAL SAND OF HAVING NO SALT CONTENT, NO SHELLS AND VERY CONSISTENT GRADING CHARACTERISTICS, HE SAID.

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+OUR OWN TESTS SHOW THAT MANUFACTURED SAND IN HONG KONG IS ACCEPTABLE FOR PLASTERS AND MORTARS, AND THIS IS CONFIRMED BY TESTS CONDUCTED BY CONTRACTORS WHICH HAVE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT MANUFACTURED SAND COMPLIES WITH THE BRITISH STANDARD FOR AGGREGATE USED IN CONCRETE, HE ADDED.

THE MANUFACTURED SAND WILL BE LOADED INTO PURCHASERS' LORRIES BY MECHANICAL MEANS. THE CHARGE FOR THE LOADING WILL BE $1.80 PER CUBIC METRE.

MR. PILLING EXPLAINED THAT MANUFACTURED SAND WAS MADE BY EXTENDING THE NORMAL QUARRYING PROCESS OF CRUSHING AND SCREENING GRANITE TO PRODUCE A MATERIAL IN MANY RESPECTS CLOSELY SIMILAR TO NATURAL SAND. IT WAS NORMALLY SCREENED OUT TO A MAXIMUM SIZE OF THREE MILIMETRES.

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