TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1994
THE
INTERIM REPORT ON KWUN LUNG LAU LANDSLIDE PUBLISHED
GOVERNMENT TODAY (TUESDAY) PUBLISHED AN INTERIM REPORT ON KWUN LUNG LAU LANDSLIDE ON JULY 23 WHICH TOGETHER WITH THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE REVIEWED BY AN INDEPENDENT EXPERT, DR NORBERT MORGENSTERN DUE TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG IN 10 DAYS.
THE INTERIM REPORT, COMPILED BY THE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE (GEO), PROVIDES A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THE LANDSLIDE.
THE ASSESSMENT, BASED ON SITE INVESTIGATIONS AND ANALYSES OF INFORMATION AND DATA COLLECTED, LISTS WATER INFLOW INTO THE SLOPE BEHIND THE MASONRY WALL, PRESENCE OF WEAK MATERIAL IN THE SLOPE AND OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS, SUCH AS REMOVAL OF TREES ON THE SLOPE, AS THE THREE PRINCIPAL POSSIBLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE LANDSLIDE.
THE REPORT STATES THAT FIELD INVESTIGATION SUGGESTS SHEARING OCCURRED THROUGH THE JOINTS OF THE MASONRY BLOCKS SINCE THE MAJORITY OF THE
THE WALL SECTION IN QUESTION COLLAPSED WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DISINTEGRATION.
WERE
IT IS NOTED THAT NO SIGNS OF DISTRESS OF THE MASONRY WALL RECORDED IN ANY OF THE ASSESSMENTS CARRIED OUT BY THE GEO OR THE HOUSING SOCIETY'S CONSULTANTS SINCE THE SLOPE WAS LISTED GOVERNMENT'S CATALOGUE OF CUT SLOPES AND RETAINING WALL IN 1978.
IN
IN THE MOST RECENT INSPECTION CARRIED OUT BY THE CONSULTANTS OF THE HOUSING SOCIETY IN JUNE 1994, MAINTENANCE WORKS WERE RECOMMENDED.
CLEARING WERPHOLES AND DRAINAGE CHANNELS, REINSTATING SUBSIDENCE NEAR THE CREST OF THE SLOPE AND REPAIRING CRACKS ON THE SLOPE.
THESE INCLUDE
THE HOUSING SOCIETY PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE TENDER DOCUMENTS FOR THE RECOMMENDED WORK ON JULY 19, JUST FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE LANDSLIDE FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF A SUBSEQUENT LETTER DATED JULY 14 FROM THE CONSULTANTS LISTING DETAILS OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, SAID THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS WERE BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND FURTHER WORK INCLUDING DETAILED ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT AND STABILITY ANALYSES WOULD BE CARRIED OUT BEFORE FIRM CONCLUSIONS COULD BE REACHED.
HE SAID THE MOST PRESSING TASK NOW WAS TO GET ON WITH THE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD FIND OUT WHAT LESSONS COULD BE LEARNED FROM THE INCIDENT,
"INVESTIGATIONS OF THIS NATURE ARE HIGHLY COMPLEX AND TECHNICAL. THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING IN ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST EMINENT EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL ASPECTS OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED INDEPENDENTLY,
"DR
MORGENSTERN'S INDEPENDENCE IS ENSURED BY THE FACT THAT HE WILL BR REPORTING TO THE GOVERNOR. ΤΟ AVOID ANY DELAY IN
OUR INVESTIGATION, WE SHOULD DO ALL WE CAN TO ENABLE THE SPECIALISTS ΤΟ GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MATTER.
/MR BLAKE
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