XN000022-1988-07-06 — Page 34

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1988

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FUTURE USE OF FRICTION COURSE DEPENDS ON TRIAL RESULTS

THE USE OF A FRICTION COURSE TO REDUCE TRAFFIC NOISE WOULD DEPEND ON THE RESULTS OF A SUFFICIENTLY LONG TRIAL ON THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON POON CHI-FAI, MR LEUNG SAID THAT RESULTS OF SEVERAL NOISE SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SHOWED THAT THE FRICTION COURSE LAID ON A 300-METRE SECTION OF THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR HAD REDUCED THE NOISE GENERATED BY ROAD VEHICLES BY AN AVERAGE OF FIVE DECIBELS.

THIS

THIS WAS CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE ΤΟ ACHIEVE REDUCTION THE TRAFFIC FLOW ON THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REDUCED TO ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF ITS CURRENT FLOW.

HOWEVER, MR LEUNG SAID, THE MAJOR PROBLEM IN APPLYING THIS FRICTION COURSE TO ELEVATED CONCRETE ROADS WAS то ACCOMMODATE THE EXPANSION JOINTS OF THESE STRUCTURES. ON THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR THE JOINTS HAD BEEN COVERED USING A BURIED JOINT SYSTEM NOT PREVIOUSLY USED IN HONG KONG.

"THE DURABILITY OF THIS SYSTEM AND THE ADHESION OF THE FRICTION COURSE TO THE OLD CONCRETE SURFACE WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED FOR A LONGER PERIOD BEFORE ANY EXTENSION OF THE TRIAL CAN BE CONSIDERED, HE SAID.

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COURSE WAS

MR LEUNG SAID THE USE OF THIS BITUMINOUS FRICTION DEVELOPED BY HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT MAINLY то IMPROVE SKID RESISTANCE AND WAS USED ORIGINALLY ON THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD WHERE TRAFFIC WAS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL AT HIGHER SPEEDS.

THE FUTURE USE OF THIS MATERIAL TO REDUCE TRAFFIC NOISE IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING SKID RESISTANCE WOULD BE MORE ACTIVELY PURSUED ONCE THE PRESENT TRIAL SECTION ON THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR HAD PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL OVER A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME.

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