February_1966 — Page 40

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expected to be called within eight weeks. The contract is estimated to be worth about HK$8 million. of the tunnel sections should begin in carly 1967.

The main tunnel contract, out to tender in June, is expected to attract bids from European. Japanese and American consortiums.

Representatives from one giant Japanese consortium are now in Hong Kong to carry out investigations prior to bidding.

This consortium is led by Mitsui and Co., Ltd.. Tokyo. Other members include Taisei Construction Co., Ltd., Zenitaka-Gumi Co., Ltd., Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd., Maeda Construction Co., Ltd., and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. It is understood that The Foundation of Canada Group has also been invited to participate.

Probably the consortium will apply to the Japanese Government, through its financial institutions, to provide low interest loans, or guarantee payment for loans from private sources for the venture. It may also be able to offer deferred payment for the project for up to ten years.

Scott and Wilson. Kirkpatrick and Partners, Hong Kong, and Freeman. Fox and Partners, London, are the consulting engineers.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SEMINAR

In a recent circular letter issued by the Hong Kong Technical College. Mr. D. D. Waters, Head of the Department of Building, Surveying and Structural Engineering. states that there is a need in Hong Kong for more sophisticated techniques in construction manage-

ment.

To meet this need the Department is holding a seminar this month dealing with up-to-date methods and planning in the construction industry. The seminar will be held on February 23 and 24 and will be attended by senior executives from Hong Kong's construction industry. Speakers will include Mr. Nakamura, a specialist from the building industry in Japan, and members of IBM (Hong Kong).

The first day will cover data processing and an in- troduction to computers, and project planning. its prin- ciples and methods of smoothing, costing, etc. Subjects to be dealt with on the second day will include project planning in practice. and technical applications on such items as cuts and fill, mass haul, statistics, column analysis and rigid frame analysis,

TAIWAN BRIDGE REBUILDING

THE Taipei Bridge over the Tamshui River, connecting Taipei and the southern cities of Taiwan, is to be rebuilt. Taiwan Highway Bureau is responsible for the planning and engineering work. The main work will start this year and will take about three years to complete.

A steel truss structure. Taipei Bridge was built in 1925. It is 436 metres long and 11.7 metres wide. More than 20,000 vehicles and the same number of pedestrians use it daily.

The total cost of rebuilding is estimated at NT$133 million of which NT$26 million will be a loan from the Bank of Taiwan, NT$51 million from the Foundation of Sino-American Development, and the rest from Japan. The loans will be repaid by tolls.

An additional span is to be incorporated in to the new bridge, which will be 498.4 metres long. The width will be 28.5 metres, with a four-lane thoroughfare in the middle occupying 15 metres.

SINGAPORE SPORTS COMPLEX

THE Singapore Government has announced plans for establishing a multi-million dollar sports complex on the 90-acre Kallang Park, suitable for staging events up to Olympic Games standard.

Plans have been prepared by National Development Board architects and work on the first phase may start this year.

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Included in the complex will be a main stadium with indoor stadium with scating for about 100,000, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a training track encircling tennis courts, a multi-storey hotel, a permanent exhibition site and a floating hotel. The extensive mono-rail scheme now being planned for Singapore will run through the complex, providing a rapid link with the city central area. The total cost is estimated at M$10 million. spokesman for the Ministry of National Development said last month that the main stadium would be built first, but this would probably take at least five years as financial resources were limited. The stadium would be built initially to accommodate 60,000 spectators, and would be expanded gradually as money became available.

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Other facilities would be built in three or four stages. No foreign money would be used and all the money would be raised locally.

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HUGE BANGKOK REDEVELOPMENT

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THE opening in August of Thailand's first Cinerama theatre the 1,000-seat Rama Theatre will herald the completion of the first phase of the largest private rede- velopment project yet undertaken in Bangkok.

It is part of the Pathumwan Square project, a 100 million baht scheme for completely redeveloping a 25- acre site bounded by Rama 1, Phyathai, Sanama and Chula Soi II Roads. The developers and contractors are South East Asia Construction Co., Bangkok.

Theirs plans provide for four ten-storey office build- ings, extensive shopping arcades with department stores and supermarket, an ice-skating rink, two cinemas, a 36- lane bowling centre, restaurants, and parking for over 1,000 cars, including a multi-storey car park, Pathumwan Square will have its own internal road network to serve the 400 shops and businesses. Completion date is set for early 1969.

1515

PINE AIR

LINES.

This new ten-storey reinforced concrete structure in Manila, known as "1515 Roxas Boulevard" stands on timber piles. The strong balcony lines are designed to give maximum sun protection without the use of sub breakers. Each floor is air conditioned by a direct expansion system. The architects are A. J. Luz Associates and the building was constructed by D. M. Consunji, Inc. Philippine Air Lines have leased the entire ground floor.

Far East Architect & Builder February, 1966

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