No_12_December_1968 — Page 9

news review

Urgent housing problem in Philippines

The rate of domestic construction in the Philip- pines is two houses per 1,000 persons and by 1980 the country will have a housing shortage of 8 mil- lion units.

These facts were given in a speech last month by the chairman of the Senate committee on hous- ing, urban development and resettlement, Sen. Helena Z. Benitez. She said that unless the housing gap was bridged soon, the squatter and slum pro- blems and the problem of congestion in the urban areas, with the consequent social and economic unrest that they produce, could reach explosive proportions.

The senator quoted census figures for 1960 which revealed that of the 4.8 million houses in the country one in five was substandard. Only 20 per cent of occupied dwellings had water pipe con- nections and some 84 per cent had no bathrooms.

In 1963 it was estimated that the Philippines had to build 470,000 houses every year to meet its requirements of about 10 million units by 1980. This meant a target rate of construction of about 12 units for every 1,000 persons. Thus by 1980 the country would have a housing backlog of 8 million housing units.

Lai Chi Kok bridge cost HK$13.5 million

Lai Chi Kok bridge, which forms part of the new route to Tsuen Wan in the New Territories and was constructed at a cost of HK$13.5 million, was opened to traffic recently. It took two years to construct.

Designed by Scott Wilson, Kirkpatrick and Part- ners, the bridge consists of thirteen 93 ft. spans and fifteen 63 ft. spans with an approach ramp of 462 ft. It has 33 ft. wide dual carriageways separated by a 6 ft. wide central divide. The marine section of the bridge has two 9 ft. pedestrian pavements terminating at the end of the intermediate ramps.

The structure is supported by precast reinforced concrete piles and prestressed piles for the marine section. The columns and capping beams of the supporting piers are of reinforced concrete and carry prestressed concrete beams which in turn support a reinforced concrete deck. The heaviest beam weighed 60 tons.

The approach from Kowloon forms an elevated roadway through the Mei Foo San Chuen estate,

Aerial view of coastal road and Lai Chi Kok bridge

the first phase of which is nearing completion. Fast moving traffic is thus separated from the pedestrian and local traffic of the housing estate. Main con- tractor for the bridge was Paul Y. Construction Co.

Hotel core will be slipformed

The Australian slipform specialists, Concrete Silos Pty. Ltd., have been hired to slipform the services core of the 35-storey luxury hotel being built in Singapore for Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd.

Lim Kah Ngam (S) Ltd., main contractors for the scheme, have hired 88 three-ton lifting jacks to carry the framework upwards as the concrete is moulded. Twelve six-ton jacks will be used to move the heavy lifting frame upwards with the rest of the service core.

The first stage of the core construction will reach the 17th floor. Then the rest of the hotel will be built around it to provide stability. Each floor will have an area of 4,200 sq. ft.

The hotel is estimated to cost about $$50 mil- lion to construct. It will rise to 480 ft.

HK$2 million nursing and training centre

Hong Kong architects, T.C.Yuen and Co., have completed plans for a HK$2 million day nursing and training centre to be built at Morrison Hill, Hong Kong. Construction work is about to start and should be finished before the end of 1969. The building, to be known as the Lady Trench

Far East BUILDER, December 1968

7