No_5_1959 — Page 39

TRAJAN'S

COLUMN

NEWS

NOTES

$2000 a Minute

TOPICS

was

Roads are always good for dis- cussion in Hong Kong, whether holes in, traffic on or control of, and so Britain's first national highway has been noted with particular interest here. Built at the rate of one mile every nine days with a bridge con- structed every three days, it is, as the Minister said when opening it, 'an adventure probably unparalleled in the history of civil engineering in Britain." The motorway completed in 19 months, almost as good as Hong Kong's speedy con- struction industry can do, but only possible, presumably, because of the dry summer. The organisation, mechanisation. and specially de- signed plant to use the new techni- ques sound most interesting and stimulating 916 pieces of mechanical equipment burning 25,000 gallons of diesel oil per day, Polythene sheets for underlay, cement blown from pressurised lorries into storage silos, titanium oxide in the concrete for the marginal haunches, electronically controlled weight batching, silicon carbon saws cutting expansion joints in the concrete surface strips, squeezed like toothpaste from a tube on a concrete train, and tarmac made in a mobile plant heat- ed by circulating oil. A 16-mm 30- minute colour film has been pro-

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER

duced by the main contractors. Messrs. John Laing & Son Ltd., tracing the work through all its stages. Is it too much to hope that one of our Engineering. Archi. tectural or Contractors organisations will get it out and put it on show? Then, to make our roads safe, per- haps we just have to learn new motoring techniques. We must avoid the disasters and tragedies which M.1 experienced in its first few weeks of use. before we find ourselves speeding to a standstill.

People getting places.

Talking of getting around the place, and at the risk of devoting too much of this column to transport matters in one form or another, what about a travelator, or speedwalk. or moving pavement? London is going to have one, 300 ft. long to carry 800 people a minute on twin tracks of 24-inch belts. These bands are of rubber-coated steel, will go up or down a 12-degree slope, and carry a 10 stone 10 lb. person for every 2.2 feet of length at 132 feet per minute. There would probably be problems with the handrails, whether moving or stationary, but to incorporate the travelator with the Broadwalk idea and link it with the Star Ferry alleys should appeal to the Kowloon

Residents' Association and the other cross-harbour public. The Broad- walk idea hasn't quite caught on, un- fortunately, but looking at the model of the Central Area recently shown. in the Traffic Exhibition, it may be that someone

the model was anonymous would like to extend it along the harbour coastline, mak- ing a "T" shape on plan, with the toe at the Burlington Arcade end and the two

arms extending East and West from the Star Ferry. A wonder- ful prospect and one worthy of development. It is becoming more apparent every day that vertical separation of pedestrians and vehicles will do more to solve our traffic pro- blems than any amount of controls and obstructions, and a moving belt would help to cross the contours, so to speak.

Under and Over.

Is there something wrong with our foundation design in Hong Kong?

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 5

Or perhaps there has been something wrong in the past? These questions inevitably come to mind when we hear of this or that building leaning or sinking or having to be made level by piling and underpinning. So far there has been no serious col- lapse, thanks to the watchfulness of the building inspection system, and it is to be hoped that this good for- tune will continue. If it doesn't. there will be a lot of trouble in store for a lot of people. For, with higher building, the loads both super- imposed and wind-induced

are be- coming frightening. To carry them is more complex. and, where a few years ago some China Fir poles would suffice. it is now necessary to consider soil stabilisation. caisson piles. and other elaborate forms of foundation. Relevant to this might be the projected visit of an official of the B.0.0. to the U.S.A., reportedly to study high building. Can it be possible that at the same time some. consideration might be given to the aesthetic values of point blocks. slabs, towers and other forms of in- tensive land use. The Hong Kong skyline is a wonder of nature and we should be prepared to arrange our city in as stimulating a way. Tall buildings can add interest and vigour to the skyline if we stop and think and cease to visualise every window as being a huge dollar sign.

TRAJAN

Concrete in

PUBLICATIONS Building Work, W. G. Gregory, Hong Kong University Press 1959, $5.00.

to

Professor Gregory has added the second volume of his quadripartite opus on materials and techniques in building practice. In the intro- duction it is stated that the notes, in quick reference form, are intended to present concrete in its application for normal building works architects and students. Apart from offering a valuable refresher in con- crete site uses and techniques it is also a most useful work of reference. The setting of the type is easy to follow, but there should have been some explanation of the check marks against some of the paragraphs. (The Hong Kong Society of Architects).

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