XN000022-1991-07-17 — Page 37

35

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1991

"THE RESULTS QUOTED NON-SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL AND RECOGNITION WITH RAE OR MOD."

REPRESENT THE THEIR FINDINGS

OBSERVATIONS

OF

HAVE NO FORMAL

MR BARNES ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT DID NOT COMMENT ON THE CLAIMS MADE FOR THIS SPECIFIC PRODUCT. RATHER THE COMMENTS WERE RELATED TO THE CLAIMS MADE FOR THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT GENERALLY.

SETTLEMENT ALLOWED FOR IN BUILDINGS ON RECLAIMED LAND

THE CRACKS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED IN SOME GROUND FLOOR SLABS AND PARTITIONS IN THREE BLOCKS IN ON NING GARDENS, A PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME ESTATE IN TSEUNG KWAN

ARE NOT IN THE STRUCTURAL PARTS OF THE BUILDING.

0,

"THEY ARE DUE TO SLIGHTLY GREATER SETTLEMENT UNDER THE SLABS THAN ANTICIPATED, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, THE HON. GRAHAM BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN HIS REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LAM WAI-KEUNG, MR. BARNES POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF THE BLOCKS AS A WHOLE SINCE IN THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN THE FOUNDATION RESTED ON PILES DRIVEN THROUGH TO THE BED ROCK.

HE EXPLAINED THAT WHEN A BUILDING WAS BUILT ON RECLAIMED LAND, DEVELOPER AND HIS ARCHITECT MUST DESIGN FOR A CERTAIN DEGREE OF SETTLEMENT, WHICH WAS LIKELY TO CONTINUE FOR SOME YEARS AFTER

THE

COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING.

JIE TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT REMEDIAL WORKS ON THE AFFECTED AND PARTITIONS WERE BEING CARRIED OUT BY THE DEVELOPER.

SLABS

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS VERY EXPERIENCED IN RECLAMATION PROJECTS IN HONG KONG AND STAFF OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MONITORED BOTH THE PLACING OF RECLAMATION FILL AND THE SUBSEQUENT SETTLEMENT VERY CAREFULLY AND WITH HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL METHODS.

/36