March_1971 — Page 9

news review

School will have suspended floors

An unusual construction system is to be em- ployed in building a new secondary technical school at Kwaichung, New Territories for the Sale- sian School Authorities. Mr. Peter Y.S. Pun has designed the system and the school, which em- bodies a load-bearing framework formed by three in situ cores and a prestressed top floor, from which the lower classroom floors will be hung.

In the main classroom block will be a central core of lifts, stairs and toilets and two outer cores housing special classrooms. The prestressed top floor linking these cores will carry special dia- phragms from which will be suspended steel hang- ers holding the five lower floors. In this way extra

Framework showing suspended floors

playground space will be provided at ground floor level which will be completely free of columns.

The five lower floors will comprise precast floor planks, assembled at ground level and given a 21⁄2in. topping of in situ concrete. Then the entire floor, measuring 75ft. x 26ft. will be lifted into place from roof trusses. When in position it will be welded to the steel hangers and keyed into the

cores.

A major advantage of this system is that the concrete takes all the compressive loads, while the steel takes the tension.

From the six-storey main classroom block covered walkways will connect to a single-storey workshop block - later to be extended to three- storeys. The school includes 24 classrooms, five

Far East BUILDER, March 1971

Model of secondary technical school at Kwaichung with workshop block in the foreground

workshops, five special rooms and an assembly hall to be built at the rear of the classroom block. The top floor of the classroom block, containing the structural diaphragms will also house teaching staff quarters.

Work is about to start on the site. The construc- tion contract, worth HK$4.7 million, has been signed with Ahong Construction Co. (HK) Ltd. Completion is scheduled before September 1972.

HK$1.3 million nose-in pier

A new HK$1.3 million nose-in pier for large aircraft such as the 747 is to be constructed at Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong to speed up the move- ment of passengers and baggage.

The pier will form an extension to the present two stands on the eastern side of the terminal build- ing. Of reinforced concrete construction, it will rise to three storeys. The upper two floors will be used for passenger routes, and the ground floor for baggage movement.

The pier will have three bridges for each air- craft, connected by doors. These bridges will be adjustable in order to accommodate various types of aircraft. They will also be adjustable at the pier end. For departures, bridges will be connected to the upper level, and for arrivals to the lower level of the pier.

By using these pier stands, a direct loading of passengers and baggage will be possible, so dis- posing of the apron level between the terminal building and the aircraft. Construction will begin next month for completion by the end of the year.

New bridge for Perak

A new M$3.2 million bridge is to be construct- ed over the Perak River at Bota, to connect Lumut and Ipoh. It will replace the 1,300 ft. bridge built in 1964 at a cost of M$1.1 million.

The devastating floods of 1967 destroyed part of the existing bridge and work on demolishing the remainder is to begin this month.

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