XN000022-1982-03-16 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1982

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CONCRETE QUALITY CONTROL TO BE IMPROVED

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MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS WILL SOON BE MADE IN THE STANDARD OF QUALITY CONTROL OF CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION IN HONG KONG'S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR N.K. CHAN, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

MR CHAN, OPENING AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON +NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY, SAID THAT CONCRETE HAD BEEN THE MAIN BUILDING MATERIAL USED DURING A PERIOD OF SUSTAINED GROWTH FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

HE SAID THAT TOTAL VALUE OF ALL CONSTRUCTION IN HONG KONG IN 1981 WAS ABOUT $17 000 MILLION.

+A MEASURE OF THIS REMARKABLE GROWTH CAN BE GAUGED BY COMPARING IT WITH AN EXPENDITURE IN 1970 OF $1 311 MILLION, WHICH EVEN WHEN CORRECTED TO CONSTANT PRICES USING 1973 AS A BASE SHOWS THAT THE VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE LAST 11 YEARS HAS INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY 340 PER CENT,+ MR CHAN SAID.

HE CONGRATULATED THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FOR THE ADAPTABILITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS IT HAD SHOWN IN COPING WITH SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY.

MR CHAN SAID THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAD RESPONDED ACTIVELY TO THE GROWING AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR BETTER CONCRETE QUALITY CONTROL IN HONG KONG.

HE ADDED THAT THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, WHICH REGULATED THE WORK OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HAD SET UP A WORKING PARTY IN 1980 TO REVIEW THE BUILDING (CONSTRUCTION) REGULATIONS.

A SUB-COMMITTEE, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, THE CONCRETE SOCIETY (HK) LTD., AND COMMERCIAL TESTING LABORATORIES, IS REVIEWING QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES IN PRIVATE BUILDING WORKS.

+WHEN THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, THESE WILL BE TRANSLATED INTO REGULATIONS. AFTER THEY ARE ENACTED, WE SHOULD SEE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN CONCRETE QUALITY CONTRÔL PROCEDURES IN PRIVATE BUILDING WORKS,+ MR CHAN SAID.

WITH RESPECT TO PWD PROJECTS, A WORKING PARTY WAS SET UP

IN 1980 TO REVIEW THE PROCEDURES FOR THE QUALITY CONTROL TESTING OF CONCRETE AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THEM.

MADE.

AS A RESULT, MR CHAN SAID, THREE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS WERE

THEY WEREi

THE FIRST INVOLVED THE ELIMINATION OF UNSATISFACTORY PRACTICES IN THE METHOD OF COMPLIANCE TESTING ON SITE. PWD SITE STAFF WERE NOW MORE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN COMPLIANCE TESTING,

/SECOND, A