No_3_October_1962 — Page 130

SITE ORGANISATION (Continued from

it also reduces the salvage value of the materials.

The inadequate and insecure stag- ing provided for workmen, such as plasterers and painters, cannot give them sufficient confidence to ensure a good job being done and work may have to be done again.

The indiscriminate dumping of materials leads to wastage; to them having to be re-dumped; and con- sequently to inefficiency. It is known that sites in Hong Kong are more often than not very restricted, but this makes carefully thought out site planning of the location of material dumps and site stores all the more imperative and suggests the careful phasing of deliveries so that no more material lies on the site than may be used in a given period; with the short distances that commonly per- tain, this would not seem difficult to organise.

In this context, it is surprising to find that few contractors have their own transport; this means that they have to rely on others for a key operation in building. They do not have full control over delivery sche- dules, and are to some extent at the mercy of the transport drivers as to where on the site and as to how materials are off-loaded or dumped.

This last observation may hit at the root of poor site organization, which is the unofficial employment of

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sub-contractors. A general contractor cannot maintain proper control over a job which is being carried out practically entirely by sub-contractors, each of whom is only concerned with finishing and making as much profit out of his part of the work without regard to the work of others.

A sub-contractor will only want to start work when he can see his way clear for an uninterrupted perfor mance of his work, but in many trades or many buildings, this is impossible; not all work may go on simultaneously and some will have to wait for others. Unless the general contractor has full control of his tradesmen (which among other mat- ters enables him to switch them between one job and another as the need arises) good site organization becomes extremely difficult if not impossible.

The whole story of the effect of a building system relying on the total sub-contracting of the work cannot be told here. There are solutions to this problem which would benefit the general contractor and the sub-con- tractor alike and lead to better build- ing and these need to be given thought.

A good deal of confusion occurs on sites because operations are car- ried on there which could be done probably better off the site, in con tractor's yards and workshops (which

BUILDING DENSITY CONTROL (Continued from Page 94) as the building height increases, but at the same time the area of site that can be covered by buildings is reduced as the building height increases. The regulations apply to both domestic and

increase in floor area where land is acquired, either by agreement or compulsorily, for the purpose of street widening.

non-domestic buildings, though non-domestic build- ings are permitted a higher plot ratio. and higher site coverage than domes- tic buildings.

"In order to encourage developers to provide additional space for pede- strian circulation at ground level, the new regulation 20B(1) provides that, where any space is given up for that purpose and dedicated to the public for the purpose of passage, the floor area of the building may be increas- reduced as the building height area of the space so given up. Under regulation 20B(2), the Building Authority may permit a similar

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"Under the new regulation 20C(3) the Building Authority may take no account of any floor space that is to be used solely for the parking, or for the loading or unloading, of motor vehicles, when the gross floor area of a building is being deter- mined.

"Regulation 22 of the principal regulations has been amended so as to increase the amount of open space that must be provided around domes. tic buildings on corner sites and island sites. A definition of "corner site" is inserted in the principal regulations by regulation 2(c) of these regulations.

in fact do not exist). The fabrication of reinforcement and joinery wo need not be done on site; when done at a contractor's yard surplus mater al may be immediately returned t stock and deficiencies may be mad up from stock.

Many jobs are run as separate businesses, the site being the busines premises, stores, and workshop; the contractor starting with nothing in the way of materials, plant and took and presumably ending up with nothing. Good contracting needs material substance behind it. How many contractors in Hong Kong build up stocks when market condi tions are favourable, against the day' when they are not?

These points do not cover the whole question of site organization! and control; many procedures and activities off the site in the genera!! organization of the building industry effect the efficiency of the site work. methods of financing being one. But there can be no doubt that there is room for improvement in the efficien cy in building, which would not only increase profits but also stabilize. possibly even lower, building costs.

In a competitive environment in crease in cost carnot be set off against the building owner, but must be set off by greater efficiency and the starting point would seem to be stated in the old naval command of "clear the decks for action."

"The opportunity has been taken to raise the minimum standard of lighting and ventilation required for offices, and the new standard for offices has been applied to kitchens.

"These regulations will come into operation on the 19th day of Octo ber, 1962, but, by virtue of regula tion 15, the Building Authority will be able to approve plans of building works that comply with the law prior to the commencement of these regula tions if, in the case of the amend ments effected by regulations 5 to 12 inclusive, the plans are submitted & any time prior to the 1st day of July. 1963, and, in the case of the amend ments effected by regulations 3 and 4, the plans are submitted at any time prior to the 1st day of January, 1966."

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 17, NUMBER 1

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