AR TILKE
78
HONG KONG S
OLD BUILDINGS:
"Positive
to safe
Fortunately no one was killed in the collapse of this reinforced concrete building in Lockhart Road.
former
Government engineer
warned last month that old
buildings in Hong Kong were de- teriorating at an accelerating rate and positive action would have to be taken to safeguard life.
The engineer. Mr. K. T. Philcox A.M.I.C.E., M.I. Struct E., M.AM.S. C.E., M.AM.C.I., who is now chief engineer with Palmer and Turner told a Rotary Club meeting that dangerous buildings would have to be closed and demolished.
"Every shower of rain, every typhoon, every nearby demolition, every foundation vibration or under- mining, is, so to speak, another nail in the coffin' of such buildings.”
Following is the full text of Mr. Philcox's address.--
17
In agreeing to speak on a subject which is at the same time both topi- cal and controversial one feels that perhaps one is "rushing in where angels fear to tread.' There have recently been instances where certain laymen (both male and female) have done just this, therefore, as a profes- sional engineer one feels somewhat loath to appear to be entering the field of controversy. However, in any field where the general public is in- timately involved, it is as well that the facts be given an airing, and one will attempt to do just that. Two questions that naturally come to mind when considering such a topic are:-
(a) "When does a building become
dangerous, and
(b) "What are the reasons for the building cecoming dangerous." The first question is a fairly easy a building becomes
one to answer
——
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER--VOLUME 19, NUMBER 3
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