XN000022-1989-01-19 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1989

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HOUSING AUTHORITY STRIVES TO BUILD BETTER PUBLIC HOUSING

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ITS CONSTRUCTION WORK то ACHIEVE BETTER AND MORE DURABLE PUBLIC HOUSING, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSING (CONSTRUCTION), MR DEREK MESSLING, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S STEEL TESTING LABORATORY IN CHEUNG SHA WAN, MR MESSLING SAID A GREAT DEAL OF PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN MANY ASPECTS OF QUALITY CONTROL SINCE THE OPENING OF THE DEPARTMENT'S CONCRETE TESTING LABORATORY IN 1985.

HE SAID THE CONCRETE LABORATORY, BY ITS VERY ADVANCED EQUIPMENT AND THE SKILL AND DEDICATION OF ITS STAFF, WAS NOW ACTING AS A BENCH MARK AND AS A POLICING AGENCY IN REGARD то PRIVATE LABORATORIES EMPLOYED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

"THE EFFECTS OF THIS ARE ALREADY ENCOURAGING CONCRETE SUPPLIERS TO TAKE ACTION QUALITY ASSURANCE SCHEMES, AND IN ENSURING THAT PROVIDE A SATISFACTORY SERVICE, HE SAID.

NOTICEABLE IN BOTH TO UPGRADE THEIR OWN PRIVATE LABORATORIES

MR MESSLING SAID WAS THE MOST

AS REGARDS THE NEW STEEL TESTING LABORATORY, ITS FULLY COMPUTERISED EQUIPMENT, COSTING $4 MILLION, ADVANCED OF ITS TYPE AND A FIRST FOR HONG KONG.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD NOW BE ABLE TO TEST THE PROPERTIES of STEEL BUILDING PRODUCTS IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARDS, HE NOTED.

MR MESSLING ADDED THAT THE QUALITY ASSURANCE OF REINFORCING STEEL WAS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE SINCE THE AUTHORITY'S PROGRAMME CONSUMED 150 000 TONNES A YEAR.

HE ALSO REVEALED THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUALITY ASSURANCE CAPABILITY WOULD BE DIRECTLY LINKED ΤΟ OF THE NEW HARMONY BLOCKS, AND TO GREATLY EXPAND THE BUILDING COMPONENTS MANUFACTURED OFF SITE.

AUTHORITY'S THE DESIGN NUMBER OF

WITHIN IN THE

HE SAID: "WE SHALL BE SEEKING TO CREATE AN APPRECIATION THE INDUSTRY THAT IF IT IS TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE AUTHORITY FUTURE, THEN IT WILL ONLY DO SO IF ITS PRODUCTS MEET OUR SPECIFIED REQUIREMENTS.

SUPPLIERS OF BUILDING MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS WOULD FIRSTLY BE ENCOURAGED AND ULTIMATELY BE DEMANDED TO SET UP THEIR OWN QUALITY MANAGEMENT SCHEMES.

HE HOPED THAT IN THE FUTURE THE AUTHORITY WOULD NOT HAVE ΤΟ RELY ON INSPECTING AND FINDING ANY FAULTS AT THE COMPLETION STAGE OF A PROJECT, AS QUALITY MUST START AT THE BEGINNING WITH THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPONENTS AND MATERIALS, AND CONTINUE RIGHT THROUGH THE WHOLE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.

THE MAJOR FUNCTION OF THE STEEL TESTING LABORATORY IS 70 TEST THE STRENGTH, HARDNESS AND DUCTILITY OF STEEL BARS, PRESTRESSING WIRES, STRUCTURAL SECTIONS AND BOLTS.

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