XN000022-1983-12-08 — Page 14

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1983

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HISTORICAL BULLETIN ON CENTRAL AND WESTERN PUBLISHED

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A COMMEMORATIVE BULLETIN ON THE HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICT WAS PRESENTED TO THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.

THE 96-PAGE BULLETIN, IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE DISTRICT FESTIVAL'S ORGANISING COMMITTEE TO MARK THE FIRST FESTIVAL HELD IN THE DISTRICT A MONTH AGO.

THE BULLETIN IS ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAPS AND OUTLINES THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT OFFICES, THE HISTORY OF NAM PAK HONG AND TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS, RETAIL BUSINESS IN THE DISTRICT AND DEVELOPMENT OF GOLD TRADING IN HONG KONG.

OTHER TOPICS INCLUDE A REVIEW ON SOME TRANSPORT ISSUES IN THE DISTRICT, URBAN RENEWAL AND HONG KONG AS A REGIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE.

AT THIS EVENING'S CEREMONY, MR AKERS-JONES PRESENTED SOUVENIRS TO THE PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS OF THE FESTIVAL.

NEW CODE ON WIND EFFECTS INTRODUCED

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A NEW CODE OF PRACTICE ON WIND EFFECTS CAME INTO FORCE TODAY (THURSDAY), THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURAL ENGINEER OF THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MR NG SAI-HO, REVEALED AT A ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON MEETING.

MR NG SAID A CODE ON THIS TOPIC WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN HONG KONG IN 1959.

IN 1968, IT WAS EXTENDED TO INCLUDE WIND LOADS FOR TALLER BUILDINGS AND THE CORRESPONDING METRIC VERSION WAS PUBLISHED IN 1976.

HE SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE IN THE NEW CODE WAS THE ADOPTION OF GUST VELOCITY AS THE BASIS FOR DESIGN AND THE ASSESSMENT OF PROBABLE WIND SPEEDS ON A STATISTICAL BASIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH RECORDS FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

+THE NEW EDITION TREATS WIND LOADING IN A MORE REALISTIC AND MORE PRECISE MANNER, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION TOPOGRAPHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS,+ MR NG SAID.

HE SAID THIS MOVE FOLLOWED A SIMILAR APPROACH TO THAT ADOPTED BY BRITAIN AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.

+ IN ESSENCE IT FOLLOWS THE LATEST BRITISH STANDARD CODE OF PRACTICE, BUT GIVES WIND PRESSURES RELATED TO THE LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY OF HONG KONG, ESPECIALLY OVER STEEP SLOPES AND IN BUILT UP AREAS,+ MR NG SAID.

/HE POINTED