place. Excavation and cutting of pile heads and the general construction could then carry on, but some delay was caused by this occurrence.
93. The two 24-classroom primary schools incorporated in these blocks were taken over by the Education Department in January 1961. The capital cost of these buildings will be repaid by Government in due course, by means of a credit in the loan account.
94. Between Blocks Q and R is a large open play area originally intended to be finished with a chunam (hard stabilized earth) surface. This is now to be concreted in different coloured patterns, some informal planting and seats included, boulders left in position, and, along with the triangular area to the North of Block R, will become an impervious paved playground with sand pit, climbing frame and other amenities.
Block M (Architects: Messrs. Chau & Lee)
95. The main building contract was awarded in October, 1960, to Messrs. On Lee & Co. in the sum of $1,618,314.20, subject to an agreed variation of $217,517 in order to effect economies. Piling started in July 1960, but a large number of underground obstructions were met here, as elsewhere on the site, and the contract of the H.K. Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. was extended by fifty days. It was finally completed in October by the driving of 125 piles compared with the contracted number of 173. The portions which could not be piled were redesigned for combined or spread footings, to be carried out by the general contractor. This general contract started in December 1960, and problems were again encountered with the removal of underground boulders for the footings to retaining walls, foundations and pile caps.
Blocks A, B, C and D (Architects: Messrs. Chau & Lee)
96. Revised plans for the 16-storey building with flats either side of a central corridor having been approved by the Building Authority, the piling was let, after considerable soil investigation, to Messrs. Gammon in March 1961, but only slow progress has been made. The contract is based on piling the entire area of the blocks with a system new to Hong Kong using piles of 29.4" diameter and 230 tons working load capacity. Due to the boulder encumbered site it is not known whether all this piling will be possible or not, and it seems certain that some re-design of the foundations with spread footings will be necessary.
Services
97. Considerable difficulty was experienced during the year over the construction of roads and the laying of mains services, which had an
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