XN000022-1990-04-13 — Page 4

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1990

3

THE MARBLE IS COVERED BY THICK LAYERS OF ALLUVIAL SUPERFICIAL DEPOSITS UPON WHICH THE RECLAMATION IS BUILT.

DR MALONE ADDED THAT THE BOREHOLES WHICH WERE DRILLED THROUGH THE SUPERFICIAL DEPOSITS DEEP AT TWO SITES ON THE OUTER EDGE OF THE RECLAMATION.

AND

MARINE

THE REVEALED

MARBLE INTO THE BEDROCK

AREA,

LONG THE MA ON AT A

YUEN IN COMPARISON TO THE MARBLE FORMATION IN THE

AT AFFECTED DR MALONE SAID THE AREA OF DEVELOPMENT LAND SHAN RECLAMATION IS MUCH SMALLER AND THAT THE MARBLE STRATUM IS GREATER DEPTH AT MA ON SHAN.

MARBLE EXPECTED

ARE

SHAN ARE NOT

ΤΟ HIGH QUALITY GROUND FOUNDATION DESIGN AND

"THE CAVITIES DISCOVERED SO FAR IN THE MA ON

AND MAINLY OF A SIZE OF LESS THAN TWO METRES CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FOUNDATION PROBLEMS, ALTHOUGH

SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS WITH

INVESTIGATION AND CONSTRUCTION WILL BE NECESSARY," HE SAID.

STANDARDS FOR SAFE CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDINGS UNDERLAIN MARBLE WITH CAVITIES ARE NOW WELL ESTABLISHED.

DR

GUIDANCE ON NECESSARY

BY

STANDARDS

OF

SITE

FOR

SITES

AREA

SHAN

SAID MALONE INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS UNDERLAIN BY MARBLE HAD ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED FOR THE DESIGNATED THE MA ON IN YUEN LONG. THESE STANDARDS SHOULD BE APPLIED TO DESIGNATED AREA AND ADVICE TO THIS EFFECT IS BEING PROMULGATED.

SINCE THE DISCOVERY + COMPILING INFORMATION FROM RECLAMATION AREA.

HAD THE HONG KONG GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BEEN EXISTING BOREHOLES IN THE MA ON SHAN

MAPPING,

THE GCO WOULD ALSO INITIATE FURTHER DRILLING WORK AND CULMINATING IN THE PRODUCTION OF DETAILED GEOLOGICAL MAPS.

THESE MAPS

THE SUBSURFACE GEOLOGY, DEVELOPERS, THE PLANNERS

AND

FOR THE THE

WOULD PORTRAY BENEFIT OF THE PROSPECTIVE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

MA

ON

IN

"WE WILL ASSIST ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS WORKING IN THE SHAN RECLAMATION AREA BY GIVING ACCESS TO THE DATA BEING COLLECTED THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE AT ANY TIME, HE SAID.

HE EXPLAINED

THAT

"I

THE MARBLE WAS DERIVED FROM LIMESTONE 300 AND 350 MILLION YEARS ORIGINATING BETWEEN

AGO AS CARBONATE DEPOSITS (E.G. CORAL REEFS)

WARM TROPICAL SEAS, IN CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE NOW FOUND AROUND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IN AUSTRALIA.

IN

ABOUT 140 MILLION YEARS AGO, THE REGION WAS EARTH MOVEMENTS AND VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, AS A

INTRUDING GRANITE HEATED

INTO MARBLE.

THE

LIMESTONE AND

SUBJECT ΤΟ MAJOR RESULT OF WHICH MOLTEN IT WAS RECRYSTALLISED

/MARBLE IS