TRAMWAYS WELFARE CENTRE
During the past few years the Colon y of bng Kong has been so complety occupied with the work of rehabilitation following the Japanese occupation, and so busy keeping pace with commercial de- velopments that neither time nor money could be spared for the more social aspects. We were, therefore, somewhat behind other parts of the western world in the programme of welfare work which had been recog- nised as a necessary concomitant to UNO principles.
The Welfare Department of the Hong Kong Government has been concentrating these past few years on remedying these deficiencies in this respect, and very extensive plans em- bracing every branch of this field are in various stages of development.
Individual firms with responsibi- lities for large labour personnel are also beginning to feel that they can no longer delay the matter of pro- viding suitable welfare facilities for their employees, and in tackling the problems connected with this phase.
of their development they find the Hong Kong Government more than willing to meet them halfway. Not the least of the difficulties encoun- tered has been the dearth of suitable sites, particularly in the older sec- tion of the Colony, and in this respect the Government has been particu- larly helpful, providing excellent and valuable areas practically free of charge.
was
When the Hong Kong Tramways Ltd. began to plan their welfare centre, it was impossible to allocate a suitable area in the Happy Valley section around Russell Street where the greater number of their employees are concentrated. A proposal finally submitted to allow the build- ing to straddle the Bowrington Canal, the open nullah which drains the Happy Valley into the sea. fore a decision could be reached, a great number of objections had to be overcome from various depart- ments of the Public Works, because of physical or engineering difficulties, and we understand that it was only
Be-
Cross sections through building showing longitudinal and cross beams, with photographs below showing piling work in progress.
through the personal interest of His Excellency, the Governor of Hong Kong, in the project that conflicting interests were reconciled and the necessary negotiations concluded.
Few Hong Kong residents realise that originally a creek ran into Happy Valley which was a mud flat at low water into which, in typhoon weather, junks and sampans took shelter. Old maps of the Colony showed a stone wall bunding running parallel with and about where the middle of Per- cival Street is today, on which stood a tall cast iron railing belonging to Jardine, Matheson & Co., being the fencing to their East Point property now known as Lee Garden Hill. The western side of the creek must have been a little east of Tin Lok Lane.
The present Bowrington Canal must have followed the main stream running into Happy Valley when the training was carried out, it was therefore to be expected that the ground on which to found a building would be soft. This proved to be so as piles of 53'0" in length had to be driven to 51.00 O.D. before any hard ground could be found. The Vibro Piling Company with a 70'0" tube drove these piles.
No loads from the new building were allowed on the retaining walls, which form the sides of the canal. The new structure had to be carried on independent new foundations, which were formed by two rows of 18" dia. columns in the canal along the toes of the existing retaining walls. A system of longitudinal beams over the columns and cross beams, which cantilever over the retaining walls, carries the building.
Each of the 93 columns is carried on one Vibro Pile, the length of which averages 48 ft. below the canal invert.
The driving of the piles presented the piling contractor with an in- teresting problem. No piling ma-
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