ENG-1981 — Page 218

PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

159

Tin, Ngau Tau Kok and Tuen Mun; a schoolchildren's dental clinic at Argyle Street, Kowloon; a Medical and Health Department laundry at Pik Uk; a divisional fire station and command headquarters at Sheung Wan; a swimming pool complex at Sha Tin; a primary school at Tuen Mun; a community centre at Sheung Shui; a sports ground at Tuen Mun; and refurbishment of the old terminal building at the airport.

Projects under construction at the end of 1981 included an indoor stadium at Hung Hom; a teaching hospital and quarters at Sha Tin; multi-storey car parks at Yau Ma Tei and the airport; a 'half-way house' and pre-release centre at Lung Cheung Road; expansion of the drug addiction treatment centre on Hei Ling Chau; community centres at Yau Ma Tei, Lai Chi Kok and Tai Po; sports grounds at Cheung Chau and Sai Kung; a market and government offices at To Kwa Wan; a new Supreme Court at Queensway; and a hockey ground at King's Park.

At the end of the year projects at the planning stage included cultural complexes at Tsim Sha Tsui, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun; an extension and improvements providing 660 additional beds at Queen Mary Hospital; a 1 466-bed hospital at Tuen Mun; 18 primary and secondary schools at various locations; swimming pool complexes at Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan; indoor games halls and swimming pools at Lai Chi Kok and Wan Chai; and numerous other educational medical, recreational and amenity projects.

In view of continuously rising fuel costs the department is particularly interested in the energy management of government buildings. Apart from incorporating energy conserva- tion measures in the design of new building services installations, the government has employed a consultant to make proposals on energy management in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Kowloon General Post Office building.

Solar-heating panels installed in a Stanley village bathhouse for heating water have proved a success. As a result of this, the use of solar panels for water heating at Hei Ling Chau Drug Addiction Treatment Centre and at Shek Pik Maximum Security Prison are planned, the three similar installations at other penal establishments are also proposed.

The department also assisted in reviewing the electricity consumption patterns in government buildings which resulted in the installation of power factor correction equipment to new and existing government buildings to reduce electricity expenditure.

The construction and leasing of new premises for public use created an expansion of maintenance works, with an estimated expenditure some 26 per cent greater than for the previous year. The leasing of new accommodation also resulted in a forecast 500 per cent increase in expenditure on fitting-out work during the year.

Geotechnical Control

A new research study of the behaviour of slopes in Hong Kong was initiated during 1981 to provide a better understanding of the factors which control the stability of slopes and to improve predictions of safe angles for man-made slopes.

The routine activities of the Geotechnical Control Office of the PWD included geotech- nical studies on many development areas, ranging in size from less than one hectare to 15 000 hectares; the checking of slope-related aspects of the design of new government projects to ensure safety; the detailed investigation of the stability of existing slopes throughout the territory; preventive works on old poorly-constructed fill slopes; and the review and updating of geotechnical standards for Hong Kong.

In the PWD materials laboratory, more than 165 000 tests on various construction materials were carried out and 53 500 metres of boreholes were drilled for government projects as part of the site investigation contracts managed by the office.