HONG KONG
+
ANNUAL
DEPARTMENTAL
REPORTS
1956-57
PRICE: $5
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
Digitized by
Digitized by
HONG KONG
ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORT
BY THE
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR 1956-57
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY S. YOUNG, ACTING GOVERNMENT PRINTER,
AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS,
JAVA ROAD. HONG KONG
Digitized by
Digitized by
CONTENTS
Paragraphs
1. 6
PREFACE
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
General
Office Buildings
City Hall
Residential Buildings
Education Department
7
10
11 15
16
21
-
-
20
22 32
Fire Brigade
33 -
35
Medical Department
36
47
New Territories Administration
48
49
Police Department
50
62
Prisons Department
63
67
Public Works Department
68
70
Resettlement Department
71
-
83
Stores Department
84
85
Urban Services Department
86
M
96
Miscellaneous
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
Crown Lands and Surveys OFFICE
97 102
-
103 - 113
Crown Lands
Planning
Survey
Drawing Office
i
114
www
134
135
143
144 154
155
-
-
159
Digitized by
CONTENTS-Contd.
Paragraphs
DRAINAGE OFFICE
General
160
162
Resettlement and Housing Development
163
Nullah Decking
164
Disposal Works and Intercepting Sewers
165
-
166
Private Work
167
A
168
ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE
General
169
Mechanical Section
Electrical Section
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Section
PORT WORKS OFFICE
General
170 182
183 - 187
*
188 190
191
Maintenance
192 - 196
New Construction
197 - 215
Miscellaneous Works
216 - 220
Materials Testing Laboratory
221 - 230
ROADS OFFICE
General
Allocation of Expenditure
Reconstruction-City Roads, Victoria
Island Roads-Outside the City Limits
Kowloon Roads
New Territories Roads
Miscellaneous
Quarries
ii
Digitized by
231
235
-
234
236 245
-
246 - 248
249
-
254
255
261
262 - 263
264 - 269
CONTENTS-Contd.
Paragraphs
ROADS OFFICE,-Continued.
Street Lighting
Public Utilities
270 272
273
Other Works
274 - 276
Street Name Plates
277
Traffic Control and Aids
278
WATERWORKS OFFICE
General
279 - 285
Supply
286 - 298
Renewals and Improvements
299 - 320
Miscellaneous Work
321
325
Revenue and Expenditure
326
KAI TAK AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
327
-
329
EXPENDITURE
330
STAFF WELFARE
APPRECIATION
331 335
336
iii
Digitized by
Digitized by
PREFACE
THIS report which covers the activities of the Public Works Department for the financial year ending 31st March, 1957 describes briefly the work carried out by the various sub- departments and outlines the progress made on the major schemes in hand,
2. During the year the operations of the Department were carried out under the direction of the Headquarters staff by eight sub-departments namely, Architectural, Buildings Ordin- ance, Crown Lands & Surveys, Drainage, Electrical and Mechanical, Port Works, Roads and Waterworks. Approval was given for the formation of a new sub-department to be named the Development Office, its main function to be the formation, by levelling off hills and by reclamation, of large sites for housing schemes and for industry. Unfortunately up to the end of the year efforts to recruit staff for this new sub- department were unsuccessful.
3. The expatriate staff of the department numbered 189 officers and the non-expatriate staff 3,253. The number of daily rated artisans and labourers averaged 1,267 and the transfer of this class of employee from daily pay to monthly pay was continued during the year.
4. The following senior officers were on long leave during part of the year:-
Hon. T. L. Bowring, C.M.G., O.B.E., Director of
Public Works
Mr. M. I. De Ville, Superintendent of Crown Lands
& Surveys
prior to retirement
Mr. J. H. Bottomley, Chief Building Surveyor
Mr. R. A. Mirams, Chief Engineer
Mr. W. J. Skinner, Senior Quantity Surveyor
Mr. J. E. Richardson, Assistant Superintendent of Crown Lands
Mr. W. A. Johnson, Chief Engineer
Mr. R. Fairbairn, Chief Building Surveyor
Mr. A. E. Claassen, Senior Structural Engineer
Mr. J. T. Mallorie, Assistant Chief Architect
Mr. E. L. Strange, Secretary.
1
Digitized by
5. The following carried out acting duties in senior posts as indicated during the absence from the Colony of the above- named officers:
Hon. J. Forbes, O.B.E., Director of Public Works
Mr. H. W. Forsyth, Deputy Director of Public Works
Mr. W. A. Johnson, Assistant Director (Engineering)
Mr. J. E. Richardson, Superintendent of Crown Lands & Surveys Mr. R. Fairbairn,
Chief Building Surveyor
Mr. P. V. Shawe, Mr. J. J. Robson,
Mr. F. A. Fisher,
Chief Engineers
Mr. A. F. Evans, Senior Quantity Surveyor
Mr. LEE Gwoh Liang, Senior Structural Engineer
Mr. R. C. Clarke, Assistant Superintendent of Crown Lands
Mr. H. Ross, Assistant Chief Architect
Mr. J. W. Ferris, Secretary.
6. The following promotions or postings to senior posts were made during the year:-
Mr. A. M. J. Wright, Assistant Director (Buildings)
Mr. G. P. Norton, Chief Architect
Mr. J. J. Robson, Chief Engineer
Mr. R. Fairbairn, Chief Building Survevor
Mr. A. E. Claassen, Senior Structural Engineer
Mr. J. C. Charter,
Mr. J. T. Mallorie,
Assistant Chief Architects
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
Chief Architect, G. P. Norton, A.R.I.B.A.
Assistant Chief Architects, J. C. Charter, A.R.I.B.A.
J. T. Mallorie, A.R.I.B.A., A.M.P.T.I.
General
7. The staff of the Architectural Office comprised 194 mem- bers, and in view of the continued expansion of the office, a second post of Assistant Chief Architect was established at the beginning of the year to assist with administration in respect of new buildings.
8. During the year the Office moved into its new quarters in the Central Government Offices, and a more convenient grouping of the staff was made possible.
9. The annual contract based on Schedule Rates for Minor Works costing less than $100,000 was renewed, and a total of 12 projects representing approximately $931,000 in new work
2
Digitized by Google
were completed during the year. This contract enables work to be put in hand quickly.
10. During the year approximately $31,650,000 was spent on new work, including $12,475,000 on Resettlement Housing; and a further $5,351,000 was spent on maintenance, alterations and additions to Government buildings, sites, and installations.
Office Buildings
Central Government Offices.
11. The third building contract in this project was concluded in December when the Centre Block and Legislative Council Chamber were completed. The building was officially opened by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham, G.C.M.G., who unveiled a commemorative tablet incorporating the foundation plaque of the former Colonial Secretariat Build- ing. This plaque, dated 21st February, 1847, was discovered in the foundations of the old building during excavation for the
new one.
12. The Centre Block is joined with the East Wing and together they provide a total of 163,780 square feet of floor space including basements, air conditioning plant rooms, etc. The Centre Block houses a 500 line automatic branch telephone exchange, installed and maintained by the Hong Kong Telephone Co., Ltd., which will serve the whole of the Central Government Offices.
13. The construction of the West Wing entailed the provision of a heavy retaining wall to Lower Albert Road, and a separate contract for this work was let and completed in February.
14. A contract for the West Wing (the final stage of development) was signed in March, and demolition of the old P.W.D. buildings and excavation work was started. The West Wing, which is scheduled for completion at the end of 1958, will include a total of 212,600 square feet of floor area as well as an underground car park for approximately 125 cars.
Sham Shui Po District Branch Offices.
15. This building, described in a previous report and con- sisting of seven floors with a Post Office on the ground floor, was completed in June.
3
Digitized by Google
City Hall
City Hall, Star Ferry Concourse and Three Tiered Car Parks. 16. The City Hall project has been described in previous reports. The reclaimed site upon which the buildings will stand was put into temporary use as a central public car park pending construction of the City Hall. The extent to which the car park was used made it clear that alternative car parking facilities would have to be provided before the City Hall site could be closed again for development. Schemes for the provision of alternative parking facilities were investigated, and a decision was made to build two separate three tiered car parks, one for 400 cars in front of the Star Ferry Piers and Concourse, and a smaller one for 189 cars on a portion of the City Hall site.
17. Because of the need to correlate these various schemes it was necessary for the City Hall architects to deal with these additional structures and to proceed first with the design of the Ferry Concourse, the Three Tiered Car Parks, and covered pedestrian ways. A scheme for alterations to parts of Statue Square, which include a forecourt to the Supreme Court, was also prepared.
18. Construction was ordered on the Maintenance Contract in November of the first portion of the covered ways, and the work was nearing completion by the end of March. Designs were also prepared for the covered ways and paved areas leading from the Ferry Piers to Connaught Road Central, including a foot-bridge across the road to afford shelter to pedestrians, and to regulate pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area.
19. Working drawings for the larger tiered car park were virtually completed by the end of March, and piling tenders were invited.
20. Work on these other projects has slowed but not stopped progress on the City Hall scheme, and agreement has been reached with the acoustic consultant on the design of the Theatre and the Concert Hall. The preparation of working drawings was in progress.
Argyle Street Flats.
Residential Buildings
21. As described in last year's report forty flats were built in Kowloon at the junction of Argyle Street and Waterloo Road.
Digitized by
The flats, each containing a living-dining room and three bed- rooms, are contained in two ten storied blocks and have been named Nairn House. The contract was completed in March.
Education Department
Tsuen Wan Primary School and Clinic.
22. The school is housed on two floors over a covered assembly and play area with stage and adjacent changing rooms and toilets, and comprises eight classrooms and two practical rooms, staff rooms, etc.
23. Four married quarters for teachers adjoin the school in a two storey building and consist of one 4-roomed quarter and three 3-roomed quarters. The living rooms and kitchens are on the ground floor with the bedrooms over.
24. A single storey clinic for schools in the district is situated at the other end of the school, and provides full facilities for general, dental, eye, and ear nose and throat inspection and treatment.
25. The contract which was signed in the previous year was completed in August.
Extensions to Grantham Training College.
26. A contract for the extensions was signed in April and the work was completed in December. A three storey unit provides 10 tutorial rooms and teachers common room; four classrooms, with stores, for handwork, pottery, music and lectures; extension to dining and common rooms. A single storey structure comprises library, project room, study area, lecture hall for 300 with demonstration area, and toilets.
Mission Road Primary School.
27. This school, described in last year's report, contains twenty-four classrooms, art room, housecraft room, woodwork room, covered and roof playgrounds, changing rooms, staff rooms, etc., and is designed to accommodate 1,080 children. It was completed in October.
Technical College, Hung Hom.
28. A full description of the college appears in last year's report. During the year piling work was completed. An eight month contract for the buildings was signed in February, and
5
Digitized by Google
work on the superstructures commenced. Sketch plans were also started for the first stage of the Assembly Hall.
Primary Schools at:-Fuk Wing Street, Shamshui Po,
Li Cheng Uk,
Cheung Hong Street, North Point, Wood Road.
29. In order to speed the programme of primary schools for the Education Department, a standard design was prepared and approved to fit into a site of 24,000 square feet. Standard accommodation for 1,080 children is provided consisting of twenty-four classrooms and three practical rooms, covered assembly and play space, roof play area, changing rooms, staff rooms, etc.
30. Standard working drawings for the superstructures were completed and a start was made on site drawings for the individual schools. A piling contract for Fuk Wing Street School was let in March.
Quarry Bay Primary School.
31. Two additional classrooms were added during the sum- mer holidays on the Minor Works contract.
Belilios Girls School.
32. Two new classrooms and additional toilet accommodation were constructed on the Minor Works contract during the school summer holidays.
Fire Brigade
Fire Stations at:-Yuen Long, North Point, Ma Tau Chung and
Tsuen Wan.
33. In order to meet the programme of expansion for the Fire Brigade, sketch designs were prepared and approved for standard three bay fire stations to suit a site of 60 feet minimum frontage and 130 feet depth, subject to suitable road access and turning space for the fire appliances.
34. The accommodation provided consists of three bays for appliances, and a fourth bay for watch room, offices and stores on the ground floor; dormitory accommodation on the first floor for thirty-six firemen and six ambulance workers, together with mess and recreation rooms, kitchen and ablutions; two grade
6
Digitized by
F/G flats and one grade E flat for married officers on the second A hose tower and workshop are provided in the station
floor. yard.
35. Standard working drawings for the superstructures were put in hand and were nearing completion by the end of March. Drawings of site works drainage and piling will be required to suit the various sites selected.
Castle Peak Hospital.
Medical Department
36. A comprehensive description of the requirements for this Mental Hospital was included in last year's report.
37. Delays were experienced in the contract for the first phase. This included site formation, the construction of the Custodial Home, and one block of quarters for the temporary occupation of staff administering the Custodial Home. The contract was finally completed in February.
38. Work proceeded in the preparation of working drawings for the large number of hospital buildings and quarters to be erected in phase two. Provision has been made for the future extension of the hospital to 1,000 beds.
Kowloon General Hospital and Quarters.
39. This large scheme, for which sketch designs were pre- pared for the Hong Kong Government by Messrs. Easton and Robertson, Chartered Architects, London, was described in the 1954/55 report. It consists of a fully equipped general hospital of approximately 1,300 beds, with Sisters' and Nurses' Quarters and Training School, and will rank amongst the largest and best equipped in the British Commonwealth.
40. Sketch designs had been approved in the previous year, and these were handed to the Architectural Office for further detailed study.
41. During the year an architectural team of three Architects and three Assistant Architects was built up to deal with the whole project, and they were joined by a Medical Officer to advise on detailed requirements.
7
Digitized by Google
42. A small scale model of the hospital was started and a larger scale model of a typical ward was completed.
43. Plans of the final scheme were approved by the Medical Department and work on the collation of detailed information was in hand prior to a start being made on the preparation of final working drawings.
44. Sketch plans for the Sisters' and Nurses' Quarters and the Training School were approved, and a start was made on the working drawings. These buildings will provide accom- modation for 18 Senior Sisters, 96 Sisters and 450 Nurses, with training facilities for 150 Nurses.
45. It was apparent, however, that if the programme is to keep to schedule, a considerably larger team of Architects will be required with support from Structural, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and Quantity Surveyors.
Shek Kip Mei Polyclinic.
46. This clinic provides a general and maternity clinic, to which was added a chest clinic and X-ray section. Working drawings were completed and construction work was commenced in mid March.
Kowloon Chest Clinic Additions.
47. Plans approved in March included an X-ray unit and dressing rooms, additional dispensary, waiting rooms and regis- tration office.
New Territories Administration
San Hui Market.
48. The market consists of a simple single storey structure with pitched roof and floor area of 3,600 square feet, and con- tains 40 stalls and two small store rooms. A contract was signed in August and completed at the end of January. A water supply, and surfacing to the outside hawker area were, however, still outstanding at the end of the year.
Latrine at Cheung Chau.
49. This latrine provides 15 male cubicles and 8 female cubicles at ground floor level, with caretakers quarters over. Construction was started in October and completed in January.
8
Digitized by
Police Department
Western Police Station-Stage II.
Rank & File Quarters.
50. This was the first block to be erected in the second stage of building in the Western Police Station compound.
51. This nine storeyed building contains 112 flats (1st to 8th floors) each consisting of a living room, kitchen, and verandah. Communal lavatories are provided on every floor for each sex. Access to the flats is by balconies served by stairs and lift. The ground floor area is utilized as garages, stores, boiler room, etc.
52. All building works were completed in January.
Officers Married Quarters.
53. The Officers Married Quarters block, which was still in course of erection, was the last phase in the development of Western Police Station.
54. In July, after demolition of existing police buildings, piling works began. On completion of all piling, in August, the main building works commenced.
55. This block when complete will contain 8 three-room flats and 8 four-room flats for police officers of inspectorate grade. Car parks will be provided at ground floor level with a covered link to the main entrance hall. In addition, the boundary wall to Des Voeux Road will undergo certain alterations and addi- tions, and the compound will be fully developed.
Extensions to Eastern Police Station.
56. These extensions were mentioned in last year's report and were completed in June.
57. On completion of the new extensions minor alterations were made to the existing police station, which included replan- ning the charge room, cells and lavatories, and the conversion of the former barracks to provide for additional office accom- modation. Work was completed in March.
Extensions to Yaumati Police Station.
58. Alteration works to the existing police station were completed in March.
9
Digitized by
New Territories Depot, Fanling.
59. This scheme was described in last year's report, and the first stage, consisting of rank and file married quarters for 200 families and barrack accommodation for 200 Pakistanis, includ- ing mess and recreation rooms, was completed in December.
Rank and File Quarters, Arsenal Yard.
60. This scheme was referred to in detail in last year's report. A twelve month contract was let in December and progress was satisfactory. When complete the building will provide at ground floor a school of 12 class rooms, 2 practical rooms, staff rooms and toilet, and a total of 300 rank and file married quarters on the ten upper floors.
Tsuen Wan Police Station-Barrack Huts.
61. The construction of two huts was started at the begin- ning of March and was estimated it would take three months for completion. The huts will provide barrack accommodation for 104 rank and file officers.
Kowloon Police Headquarters-Barrack Huts.
62. Sketch designs and estimates were prepared for barrack huts for 96 rank and file officers.
Maryknoll Quarters.
Prisons Department
63. These quarters comprise:-
(a) Two houses with living/dining room, kitchen and servants quarters on the ground floor and with three bedrooms on the upper floor;
(b) A two storey block with four 3-roomed flats complete
with kitchen and bathroom;
(c) A three storey block containing sixteen single room married quarters each with its own kitchen and toilet, and five single officers' rooms.
64.
An eight month building contract was signed in Septem- ber, and work was well advanced by the end of March.
Victoria Prison Quarters.
65. Sketch plans were prepared for the rebuilding of Victoria Prison Quarters at Arbuthnot Road. The scheme
10
Digitized by Google
-ear's report, an! -ied quarters f 0 Pakistanis, eted in Decembe
etail in last
in December e the building
■rooms, 2 paz f 300 rank u
arted at the be e three mont accommodatio
3.
epared for ba
chen and serv hree bedroom!
ed flats com
een single
itchen and t
signed in Seper
March.
e rebuilding d. The sale
Tai Hang Tung Resettlement Area.
Junction of Tai Hang Road and Tung Lo Wan Road.
Crushing and mixing plant at Mount Butler Quarry.
gyle Street Flats:
Nairn House.
New Central Government Offices (Main Wing).
The Executive Council Chamber in the new Central Government Offices.
The Legislative Council Chamber in the new Central Government Offices.
comprises an eight floored block of sixteen 2 and 3 bedroom flats for Prison Officers; a block of 40 single room married quarters for Warders in ten upper floors, with balcony, kitchen and toilet for each flat, and with two lower floors for garage and storage; and a three floored block with barrack accommoda- tion for 40 Warders with garages at the ground floor level. The scheme provides garage accommodation for 12 vehicles.
H.M. Prison, Chimawan, Lantao.
66.
Work was started on the conversion of the former Home for the Disabled, at Chimawan, into a Prison for 600 short term prisoners. Alterations were required to the kitchen and the dormitory toilets, and additional site drainage work was carried out. One existing hut was converted into a Sick Bay and Dressers' Quarter. The work was nearing completion by the end of March.
Prison Offices, Stanley Prison.
67. Sketch plans were prepared and approved for a single storey block of offices for Stanley Prison.
Public Works Department
New Electrical and Mechanical Workshops, Caroline Hill.
68. A start was made on the working drawings for the final stage of this scheme. The project comprises the phased demoli- tion of existing offices and construction of new offices, work- shops and quarters, providing a total floor area for this stage of 47,550 square feet, with an additional 5,900 square feet of covered parking area and some ancillary buildings.
P.W.D. Offices and Depot, Kowloon.
69. This scheme was fully described in last year's report. A nine month contract was let in August for the construction of the five storey administration block and the adjacent single storey workshop block. A decision was later made to add the three extra office floors (for which the administration block had been designed) as a three months' extension to the building contract. A re-arrangement of the office floors was made to accommodate a Post Office and Registry for Births and Deaths at the ground floor level, P.W.D. offices on the first to fourth floors, and Urban Services offices and Medical Department offices on the fifth and sixth floors.
11
Digitized by Google
70.
Considerable difficulty was encountered in the foundation work, as it was found that a portion of the building site was over what appeared to be a disused quarry. After the initial difficulties, work progressed satisfactorily, and by the end of March the contract was nearing completion.
Shek Kip Mei.
Resettlement Department
Redevelopment Stage I.
71. Site formation work and all 3 Blocks, comprising 1,344 rooms, were completed and handed over for occupation by the end of August.
Redevelopment Stage II.
72. Demolition of 29 bungalows was carried out, piling to foundations and 5 Blocks, comprising 2,212 rooms, were com- pleted and handed over for occupation by the middle of March. 73. The remaining block comprising 420 rooms was nearing completion.
Redevelopment Stage III.
74. Working drawings for the third and final stage in the redevelopment of this estate were nearing completion.
Tai Hang Tung "Area "G".
75. The remaining 2 Blocks, comprising 728 rooms, of the 6 Blocks in this part of the estate, were completed and handed over for occupation by the end of April.
Li Cheng Uk.
Phase II.
76. Site formation work, piling to foundations and all 5 Blocks, comprising 3,080 rooms, were completed and handed over for occupation by early September.
Phase III.
77. Site levelling work, piling to foundations and all 4 Blocks, comprising 1,156 rooms, were completed and handed over for occupation by the middle of January.
Tai Wan Hill.
Stage 1.
78. Both Blocks, comprising 854 rooms, were completed and handed over for occupation by the middle of September.
12
Digitized by
Stage II. 79.
One Block, comprising 532 rooms, was completed and handed over for occupation by the end of December. The remaining Block was not commenced, pending completion of site formation.
Lo Fu Ngam.
80. Site formation work was commenced and construction work on 4 out of the 8 Blocks, comprising 1,510 rooms, was commenced by the end of the year.
Wong Tai Sin.
81. Sketch plans were approved for Areas 'A' and 'B' and working drawings were well in hand for the first phase of this development.
Pump House, Cheung Sha Wan.
82. The pumphouse to provide sea water for flushing pur- poses at Shek Kip Mei and Li Cheng Uk was completed in July.
Resettlement Factory, Cheung Sha Wan.
83. A contract was let for piling to foundations, and working drawings for the building were completed.
Stores Department
Reprovisioning of Government Stores, North Point.
84. In order to permit the extension of Electric Road through the site of the Hong Kong Electric Company's Power Station at North Point, the Electric Company surrendered to Government a portion of their site in exchange for a portion of the adjoining Government Stores site. This necessitated the reprovisioning of the storage accommodation, offices, dangerous goods storage and furniture workshops, which were surrendered with the portion of the Government site.
85. Sketch plans approved by the end of March provide for metal workshops and a dangerous goods store in single storey buildings; a two storied extension to the furniture workshops and a five storey stores and office block with offices on the top floor.
13
Digitized by
Urban Services Department
Kansu Street Market.
86. A nine month contract was signed in December, and work has proceeded satisfactorily. When completed, the build- ing will provide an area of 15,800 square feet on each of the ground and first floors for 122 market stalls, offices, processing rooms, etc.; a similar area on the second floor for departmental single room married quarters and barrack accommodation, with communal toilets; and a two roomed and a three roomed flat on a portion of the roof.
Latrines and Bath-houses.
87. Two new latrines referred to in last year's report, viz. at To Kwa Wan and Wa Hing Lane, were completed in May.
88. New Latrines and Bath-houses at Nelson Street, Portland Street, and Kowloon City Road were commenced. These com- prise three storey buildings providing 29 male and 16 female cubicles, 19 male and 14 female showers, and quarters for two caretakers.
Sung Wong Toi Garden.
89. This scheme involved difficult work in the removal of a massive block of the Sacred Stone from the Hill of the Sung which had to be demolished in connexion with work in the new Kai Tak Airport, and in resiting the stone in garden surround- ings with enclosing fence and gates. Work was successfully finished at the end of February.
Victoria Park.
90. The Shelters and Latrines were completed, but difficulty over the provision of a flushing water supply to the latter and also of a water supply to the adjacent Causeway Bay Fountain prevented the latrines and fountain from being put into use.
Victoria Park Swimming Pool.
91. Funds for this project were donated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
92. The pool is situated at the East end of the park, with access also from Hing Fat Street. Piling for the buildings, which are on ground reclaimed from the sea, was completed
14
Digitized by
and a seven month building contract signed in February. Work progressed satisfactorily.
93. When completed, the facilities will include a 21 feet square paddling pool, a 55 feet square pool for children and a 50 metre by 20 metre swimming pool of from 5 to 1.06 metres in depth, constructed to Olympic pool standards, and with diving boards of 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 metres in height.
94.
A filtration plant suitable for both fresh water and sea- water has been ordered. Seawater will be drawn from a well, and the fresh water will be supplied from the city mains when the water supply position permits.
95. The layout includes sunbathing and promenade terraces bounded by fencing on three sides and on the fourth side by the stands containing changing rooms for both sexes, seating accom- modation for 2,000 spectators and a large refreshment room with promenade. The design includes provision for floodlight- ing.
Tomb at Li Cheng Uk.
96. Work was nearing completion by the end of March. The ancient cross-shaped tomb has been enclosed in a 4 inch reinforced concrete shell, covered with earth and turfed to represent its original buried condition, and to protect it from damage. It is surrounded by a small formal garden, with an exhibition room and caretakers' quarters adjacent. The decora- tive brickwork motifs of the tomb have been incorporated in the design of the exhibition room.
Miscellaneous
97. Sundry minor works were put in hand including: - (a) Interior alterations to the Supreme Court building to
provide additional courts.
(b) Interior alterations to the old Roads Office building to accommodate departments previously housed in the Statue Square huts.
(c) Internal alterations to offices in the Fire Brigade build-
ing.
(d) Alterations to Radio Hong Kong studios in Mercury
House.
(e) Provisioning of branch Post Offices in non-Government
buildings at Shaukiwan and at Sheung Wan.
15
Digitized by
Maintenance of Government buildings.
98. A planned programme on the maintenance of Govern- ment buildings was carried out during the year. Approximately $3,600,000. were spent on 213 buildings, the major ones being Fire Brigade Building, Supreme Court, Park Road Police Quarters, Yaumati Police Station and Caine Road Police Quarters.
Alterations, additions and improvements.
99. Some 225 works on alterations and additions to the value of $449,000. were carried out. Among works in this category were the addition of lavatories to the Police Training School at Aberdeen, the conversion of the basement at the Education Department Headquarters into offices; alterations to Clementi Middle School, the conversion of Shap Long Welfare Centre to a sick bay, the erection of a fence around Kowloon Junior School and the improvements to lighting in Yaumati Government School.
Domestic and office appliances.
100. $487,000. were spent on appliances supplied to quarters and offices. Three quarters of this amount was expended on appliances for new buildings erected during the year.
101. Numerous other small works were carried out on Defence votes and other funds.
Works carried out for Government Departments by
Authorized Architects.
102. The following works were in hand: -
(a) Co-operative & Marketing
Quarters for Marketing Co-operative. Mr. W. Szeto
(b) Education
Caine Road Primary School Shaukiwan Primary School Tai Hang Tung Primary School Jordan Road Primary School Canton Road Primary School Hung Hom Primary School Eastern Hospital Road School
(c) Judiciary
Magistrates Courts at Causeway
Bay and Sai Ying Pun Magistrates Courts North Kowloon
and New Territories
Messrs. Hsin Yieh
Messrs. Luke Engineering Mr. W. Szeto
Mr. N. J. Chien
Mr. W. H. Kwan
Messrs. Chau & Lee Mr. T. C. Yuen
Messrs. Palmer & Turner
16
Digitized by
(d) Medical
New Kowloon Mortuary
Sai Ying Pun Clinic
New Taipo Clinic
(e)
Police
Police Post at Silvermine Bay
Messrs. Chau & Lee Messrs. Leigh & Orange Messrs. Spence, Robinson
& Partners
Mr. W. H. Kwan
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
Chief Building Surveyor, R. Fairbairn, A.R.I.C.S. 103. On the 1st June the new Regulations (made under the Buildings Ordinance 1955) controlling building development came into force. These new Regulations very greatly increase the scope given to Architects not only in the planning of their buildings, but also in the height to which they can design them. Where under former buildings Ordinances the height of the buildings was limited to either the width of the street or 11 times the width of the street (according to whether the lease of the land was pre or post 1903) on which it fronted, by the new Regulations this basic height has been increased to twice the width of the street on which the building fronts, regardless of the date of lease of the lot.
104. Developers have been very quick to take advantage of these increased facilities-indeed by the speed with which plans were submitted after the 1st June it is evident that in a great many cases development proposals had already been prepared in anticipation of the coming into force of the new Regulations. The result has been that since that time there has been an ever increasing stream of development proposals reaching the Build- ings Ordinance Office, the majority of which, especially in those parts of the Colony where land values are very high, have taken full advantage of the new Regulations, and buildings of 15 or more storeys are now becoming commonplace. Prior to June such high buildings were exceptional.
105. As has been mentioned in previous reports, the gradual redevelopment of the city of Victoria and also of the Kowloon Point area has continued unabated and it would appear that, in a relatively few years time, the old type of spacious buildings with 3, 4 or 5 storeys and massive verandah columns on the pavement will have virtually disappeared and have been replaced by very tall buildings of modern design, with reduced storey
17
Digitized by Google
heights, and without the large verandahs over the pavement. The effect of this transformation is already very noticeable in the central business area and the appearance of the city of Victoria is rapidly changing.
106. Despite the fact that almost every scheme now deals with a building containing perhaps two, three or more times the volume of the structure previously existing on the same site, the number of schemes submitted for consideration shows no signs of diminishing; indeed, the upward trend in this connexion that has been evident for a number of years, can still be seen. This, taken in conjunction with the greatly increased planning and engineering problems associated with higher buildings, results in much more work for the Buildings Ordinance Office. It also shows the importance of the private building industry in the Colony and it is of interest to record that so far as the type of building work in progress is concerned, residential accommodation still easily takes first place, followed by schools, offices, shops, factories, etc.
107. The figures set out below give further information in connexion with the work of the office in its various functions.
108. 892 new buildings were completed during the year of which 566 were for domestic use.
109. In all 4,251 approvals were issued for plans in respect of 7,696 buildings of which details are set out below:-
173 plans for
435
#1
2
"
"
2
**
62
"
"1
61
25
"
36
"
*
6
15
29
1
18
380 European type houses 1,381 Chinese type houses
2 Welfare Centres
2 Housing Schemes
65 Apartment buildings 72 Workshops and factories
36 Godowns & stores
6 Churches
28 Temporary buildings
18 Office buildings
27 Bathing Pavilions
"
11
29 Schools
"
1 Garage
"
"
25
""
""
1
""
""
"
28
""
"9
"
2
42
1
5
**
"}
"
1 Home for Aged Women 2 Temples
28 Minor Non-domestic buildings 50 Site formations
1 Ambulance Headquarters
5 Service Stations
18
Digitized by
2 plans for
4
>>
**
24
""
692
**
"
939
"
"
620
"J
659
"
367
"
2 Substations
4 Staff Quarters
26 Buildings for Repairs
859 Buildings for Alterations & Additions 1,427 Buildings-Amended plans
1,065 Buildings-to instal W.Cs., drainage & water
tanks, etc.
1,362 Buildings-to carry out reinforced concrete
and piling works
817 Buildings-for demolition.
110. Occupation Certificates were issued for 18 apartment buildings, 238 European type, 310 Chinese type and 326 non- domestic buildings.
111. Legal Notices issued comprised 143 for dangerous buildings and 686 for removal of illegal structures and abate- ment of drainage nuisances.
112. 563 drain tests were carried out in various districts.
113. In addition to the inspection of works for which plans were approved, 593 inspection of premises were made on behalf of other departments, and 49 building collapses and landslides and 18 fires received attention.
CROWN LANDS AND SURVEYS OFFICE Superintendent of Crown Lands & Surveys (Acting), J. E. Richardson, F.R.I.C.S.
Assistant Superintendent, Crown Lands (Acting), R. C. Clarke, B. Eng. (Min.) Hons, LLB. (Lond.), A.M.I. Min. E., A.R.I.C.S.
Assistant Superintendent, Planning, R. H. Hughes, M.A. (Cantab.), A.R.I.C.S. Assistant Superintendent, Surveys, C. S. Barron, M.B.E., A.R.I.C.S.
Crown Lands
114. The demand for Crown Land continued unabated and, whilst developers showed willingness to undertake extensive and costly formation works, it was not possible to meet all demands in the districts desired. However, with the exception of particular categories of industry, it generally proved possible to suggest alternative sites in other parts of the Colony.
19
Digitized by
115. During the year the responsibility of the Crown Lands Office for land in Tsuen Wan ceased and is now, in the whole of the New Territories, confined to giving advice on land matters only when requested to do so by the New Territories Adminis- tration.
Auction Sales.
116. (i) Industry.
Demand for industrial sites was intense at the beginning of the year but was in large measure, satisfied towards the end thereof by the sale of some 50 lots varying from 10,000 to 20,000 square feet in extent at the new Kun Tong Reclama- tion on the North East fringe of the Harbour in Kowloon. The upset price in all cases was $5 per square foot and the realized prices varied from some $20 per square foot at the earlier sales down to $5 per square foot, although at the latter end of the year prices tended to rise again from the lower figure. In all, during the year, 621,800 square feet of land at Kun Tong were disposed of with a total realized price of $5,840,000. Purchasers were allow- ed to pay by instalments spread over 20 years and the total payments by the end of the year amounted to $456,934. Certain categories of industries e.g. smoky industry, were excluded from Kun Tong and considerable efforts were made during the year, with some success, to find suitable sites for them. Demand for small industrial sites in Central Kow- loon was maintained, realized prices reaching as high as $45 per square foot.
(ii) Housing. Little land was sold by auction for housing due to scarcity of sites and higher priority accorded to private treaty housing schemes. Such land as has been sold fetched high prices whether in urban or rural districts.
Private Treaty Sales.
117. Sale by auction has remained basic Government policy and private treaty sales have been limited to grants for
20
Digitized by Google
charitable purposes-mainly schools-and for housing. The Housing Authority's North Point site was granted during the year and other grants at Kennedy Town and Cheung Sha Wan almost completed. Several sites are under consideration for the Housing Society. 15 free grants were made to charitable Institution and schools during the year-6 on the Island and 9 in Kowloon and New Kowloon.
118. Considerable and rapid progress was made in the grant of sites for Government Local Officers housing schemes, a total of 7 grants covering 84 flats being completed during the year. Many more were in various stages of completion.
119. Private treaty sales of industrial sites were limited to grants to Public Utility Companies.
Modification of Lease Conditions.
120. With the continued scarcity of Crown Land for develop- ment it became increasingly necessary to make full use of existing leased land. A considerable number of existing Crown leases contain restrictions out-moded by the trend of events and much work was done in removing and modifying such lease restrictions to bring these into proper relation with present circumstances. Standard density zoning schedules were drawn up for use as a guide in different parts of the Colony to permit more extensive development compatible with the maintenance of amenity. These schedules enable applications for modifica- tion of lease conditions to be dealt with expeditiously.
Lease Enforcement.
121. Due to greater values being obtainable for different types of user there has been a tendency for lessees in some cases to fail to observe the conditions of their Crown Lease. This matter became of serious importance during the year particularly in regard to commercial user of lots restricted to residential and industrial purposes. Approval was therefore sought and obtained for a new section of the Crown Lands Office to be set up to deal with these matters, but staffing difficulties made it impossible for this section to start work during the year.
21
Digitized by
122. One aspect of this matter is the fulfilment of building covenants imposed in all new grants, and although it has been necessary to grant extra time to complete building covenants in a number of cases, in general buildings are erected well within the time allowed.
Lease Renewals.
123. It was possible to make systematic progress with the grant of new Crown Leases for 75 year leases expired or expiring in the next few years. In many of these cases lessees were required to redevelop the property within a set period resulting in a number of applications for rebuilding certificates under section 3A of the Landlord & Tenant Ordinance. Some 40 certificates of intention to grant a rebuilding certificate were issued during the year.
Land for Government and Government-sponsored projects.
124. Considerable progress was made in selecting and allocating sites to meet Government requirements or those of Government-sponsored bodies, such as welfare organizations. In particular, sites were found and earmarked for 27 schools (Government and private), a new Police Station near Tai Hang Tung, eight blocks of Police quarters, seven fire stations, three resettlement estates and for various recreation grounds and open spaces to be managed by the Urban Council.
125. Reservations for the Medical Department and additional areas for the Resettlement Department were under review.
Revenue.
126. The total amount of revenue collected as compared with the previous year was as under: (These figures do not this year include revenue collected by the New Territories Administra- tion.)
Premia on land sales, etc.
Boundary Stones & Survey Fees. Permit Fees
Plans sold to the Public
1955/56.
$12,439,689.97
1956/57. $14,077,561.60
13,888.71
11,723.12
2,931,901.65
2,899,519.17
2,977.00
$15,388,457.33
4,704.00
$16,993,507.89
22
Digitized by Google
127. A detailed comparison of premia derived from land sales, extensions and exchanges with the figure for the previous year is as under:
(1) Sales by Auction:
Island
1956/57.
2,122,815.00
1955/56.
668,844.00
Kowloon
3,017,000.00
1,444,500.00
New Kowloon
1,306,750.00
195,500.00
(2) Sales without Auction:
Island
1,074,548.00
5,513,510.00
Kowloon
939,509.50
817,125.00
New Kowloon
124,518.00
180,700.00
(3) Extensions of area & Modi- fication of Lease Conditions:
Island
2,775,659.46
1,261,657.56
Kowloon
292,787.69
534,196.75
New Kowloon
989,130.61
677,624.25
(4) Exchanges:
Island
28,088.00
Kowloon
New Kowloon
32,345.31
24,679.50
97,902.60
5,471.32
(5) Renewal of Crown Leases:
Island
Kowloon
New Kowloon
10,235.44
74,965.29
1,082,371.36
1,224,816.93
$12,439,689.97
$14,077,561.60
Permits.
128. Permits issued for the occupation of Crown Land on the Island, Kowloon and New Kowloon for short periods were of a miscellaneous character; some details are as follows:
(a) 718 new permits were issued, 671 permits were cancelled and 658 permits were amended for various reasons. The total number of permits in force at the end of the financial year was 6,305 and fees collected amounted to $2,792,259.42.
(b) 8 temporary pier permits were issued and 32 were renewed and total rent amounting to $107,259.75 was collected during the year.
(c) 2 Encroachment permits were issued to the Services at
a nominal fee of $1.00 each.
129. In order to provide sites for permanent development it has been necessary to cancel a considerable number of Crown Land permits on which stand temporary, generally single-storey, buildings used for small factories or other purposes. It is
23
Digitized by
usual to grant a period of up to 6 months to vacate the area but it has nevertheless been necessary to take proceedings under Section 9(1) of the Summary Offences Ordinance and obtain an Order for clearance in a large number of cases.
130. With the envisaged erection of flatted factory buildings the necessity for small industrial permits is likely to become less.
Valuation & Resumption Office.
131. Valuation were made for the following purposes:
Resumptions under the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance (Cap. 124); Surrenders for Street and other improvements; Renewal of Crown Leases; Sale and Purchase of Land and Buildings by Government; Town Planning; Extensions to existing lots; Removal of Restrictive Covenants; etc.
132. In addition all hereditaments falling to be assessed for Estate Duty purposes were valued by this section, amounting in all to $89,448,677.00, and assistance in valuation matters was given to other Government Departments.
133. Work continued in the negotiation of surrenders for such purposes as Road Improvements, implementation of plan- ning layouts, etc. The case for the Crown was presented before three Arbitration Boards formed to determine compensation payable under the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance and preparatory work was done for Boards which may be convened for other resumptions gazetted during the year.
134. Assistance was given in drafting the Hong Kong Air- port (Control of Obstructions) Bill particularly the compensation clauses and in the preparation of the height control plan relating thereto.
Planning
135. The urban area was divided into 35 planning districts and plans were in various stages of preparation for 25 of these. In addition work was started on the planning of two additional districts in the New Territories.
136. The Outline Development Plans of North Point and Yaumati were approved in accordance with the Town Planning Ordinance. Outline Development Plans of Ma Tau Kok and
24
Digitized by
Hung Hom Districts were prepared for the Town Planning Board and exhibited to the public. The layout of Kun Tong New Town was printed and put on sale. In addition to the plans mentioned above an index of all plans prepared by the Planning section was for the first time circulated to all Govern- ment Departments and Public Utility Companies.
137. A general review of the land requirements of industry was made and a memorandum prepared and, while this resulted in some clarification, the position still remains fluid as there has been a steady trend in redevelopment for housing on land previously used for industry and allied purposes due to the considerably greater price obtainable for land for housing. Where there is no lease condition restricting the user to industry Government has not intervened to stop this trend even where it is contrary to general planning proposals but where a restric- tion to industry exists in a lease it has not been the practice to allow any modification. The search for land for industry and housing has speeded up the investigation of sites for new towns and during the year preliminary consideration was given to 5 possible new town sites.
138. The implementation of the Kun Tong New Industrial Town Scheme commenced during the year and brought with it the need to extend planning activity in that area, since it was decided that the formation of sites for housing should also be carried out by Government. Plans for one of the Housing Zones and for a Commercial Centre were therefore prepared during the year.
139. Initial planning for development of Chai Wan ultimate- ly to house 80,000 people together with some industry was completed during the year so that engineering works could
commence.
Cross Harbour Communications.
140. The study of cross harbour communications was carried a stage further during the year by the publication of a report on the proposed Cross Harbour Tunnel Scheme. The Planning section was closely connected with the preparation of the report and the preliminary examination of two alternative proposals for bridging the harbour. The Working Party advised that a tunnel or bridge would be unlikely to pay for itself in the
25
Digitized by
foreseeable future and that there were no good grounds for a Government loan to finance either project, and this recommenda- tion was accepted by Government, together with a proposal that there should be a second vehicular ferry service.
141. With the secondment of an Engineer to the Planning section detailed road planning was taken over during the year but this was handed back to the Roads Office when the Engineer in question had to be transferred to other urgent duties. Parking continued to be a matter of concern and a policy was established that wherever necessary new leases should contain a condition requiring the owners to provide parking space within the lot boundaries.
142. In connexion with many of the above matters the scope of the existing Town Planning Ordinance was reviewed but for various reasons the review was not completed.
143. During the year planning matters engaged an increased amount of public attention in all the Councils and Committees of the Colony and the Planning section provided an increasing amount of material and advice for their consideration.
144.
Survey
The functions of this section are as follows:
(a) To provide evidence to identify land conveyed by any title issued by Government. This is Cadastral Survey proper and together with the setting out of new lots, street lines and building lines, re-establishment of old lot boundaries and building line checks required for the development of properties, forms the greater part of the work.
(b) To make reliable plans and maps of the Colony. At present field work is limited to large scale survey for the making of 50 feet to 1 inch plans of the urban area. (c) General Surveys. This includes surveys for Police cases, contour surveys for planning purposes and miscellaneous
surveys.
145. Any survey work done must be tied to the system of colony control points, the positions of which both horizontally and vertically, relative to each other, are known with a certain degree of precision. During the year this system of control
26
Digitized by
points was expanded by the laying down of a further 520 per- manent survey marks which involved 27 miles of main and minor traversing. 97 new Bench Marks have been fixed, mainly on the Island. The cross-harbour levelling at Lyemun Gap and from Queen's Pier to Kowloon Public Pier was completed with highly satisfactory results and the precise levelling on the Mainland was in hand.
146. Surveys were made for lease plans for 33 lots and for surrender plans for 54 lots. Some 200 lots covering an area of 218 acres were set out for development purposes, and boundary stones were fixed on 125 lots.
147. The large scale survey completed 711 acres, mainly of the highly developed areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon, and 17 sheets at a scale of 50 feet to 1 inch were produced. A total of 39 new sheets of this scale were available at the end of the year. The compilation from these new sheets of new 200 feet to 1 inch plans was started but, as one 200 feet to 1 inch sheet contains sixteen 50 feet to 1 inch sheets, the production of an up-to-date and reliable 200 feet to 1 inch sheet series will be a long process.
148. Contour surveys covering a total area of 623 acres were made for planning purposes.
149. The following miscellaneous work was carried out:- (a) For road widening and rebuilding schemes 5 miles of
road alignment was set out.
(b) 4,030 feet of building line was set out.
(c) Surveys covering 234 acres were made for 21 Police cases. To give evidence in connexion with such surveys, surveyors attended Court on 36 occasions.
(d) A plan of the Peak District was produced and published and from the numbers of copies sold appears to have met a popular demand. The production of a plan of the Central District for eventual publication was put in hand.
New Territories Cadastral Survey.
150. At the end of the year three survey parties were functioning at three separate camps, viz. Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Castle Peak, this latter having been opened in September. Although fully staffed there have been frequent changes, and
27
Digitized by Google
with only one qualified Land Surveyor on the spot instead of three, to supervise the work and the day to day administration of the three camps, output has been rather less than was originally hoped for.
151. Although referred to as a Cadastral survey, the survey work proper consists of a large scale survey, 100 feet to 1 inch, from which the new Cadastral plans will be prepared.
152. To relate all work to the Colony system of control points has required a considerable increase in the density of control, which, over most of the area, consists only of triangula- tion stations on the tops of the highest hills.
153. During the year the number of control points in the three areas being surveyed was increased by the addition of 26 minor triangulation stations, plus 3 which had been destroyed and were re-established and one repaired. One major trian- gulation station was also found damaged and was repaired. An additional 550 permanent survey marks were laid down involving 37 miles of main and minor traverse.
154. On the detail survey work 3,374 acres were surveyed which involved over 100 miles of detail traverse. 23 sheets were completed, making a total of 30 of these basic survey sheets now available. Field work was hindered on 60 days due to weather conditions and other causes such as the curfew imposed during the October riots.
Drawing Office
155. The number of plans prepared was 63 sets of Sale plans, 192 sets of Lease and 81 sets of Surrender plans. 12 miscellaneous tracings were made. 18,319 ammonia prints were produced which included 7,425 for Government offices and 171 for the Public. 7 new 200 feet to 1 inch scale tracings of Hong Kong Island and 9 of Kowloon were made.
156. The "Copycat" printing outfit produced 4,281 prints, including 2,214 for other Government Offices. An additional 1,776 prints were made by cyclostyle.
157. The Photostat reproduction outfit produced 1,498 prints from 683 negatives.
158. The Photograph section also produced 2,675 enlarge- ments to various scales for the Surveys section, Town Planning
28
Digitized by
section and other Government Offices. Progress report and record photos for the whole Department were also made amount- ing to 1,697 negatives. 805 contact prints were made, and 204 miscellaneous reflex prints from 25 negatives.
159. Drawings were also prepared for the coloured maps used for the Riot Reports, English and Chinese versions. Six sets of new grids were also made for the printing of new sets of 8 inch to 1 mile scale plans of Hong Kong and Kowloon, and the basic plans brought up to date.
DRAINAGE OFFICE
Chief Engineer, E. P. Wilmot Morgan, B.Sc. (Civ. Eng.), A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.W.E.
General
160. The rainfall during the year was abnormally low and resulted in no appreciable rainstorm or typhoon damage, and in this connexion it is worth noting that despite the short hours of water supply and the low flow in the sewers, the number of chokes cleared during the year showed a reduction of 1,500 as against the number quoted in the previous year. While this large reduction could partly be attributed to the comparatively large relaying programme undertaken, especially on the Island, it is even more noteworthy when it is considered that over 11 miles of sewers and stormwater drains were added to the drainage system of the Colony during the year. Of this figure of over 11 miles, approximately two-thirds was laid either as work contingent on development or within the development of housing estates, etc., thus showing that private development had lost none of its impetus.
161. The following table sets out the drainage work executed during the year with the exception of the major construction works on intercepting sewers, screening plants, pumphouses, etc.:
New drainage laid
(length in feet)
Island.
Kowloon & New Kowloon.
New Territories.
Total.
13,773
34,041
10,103
58,917
Replacement of defective
drainage (length in feet)..
21,991
3,055
145
25,191
Connexions provided
310
820
131
1,261
Chokes cleared
3,315
4,100
17
7,442
29
Digitized by
162. In analyzing these figures it is evident that though by far the largest amount of development is taking place in Kowloon and New Kowloon, nevertheless the length of new drainage laid in the New Territories alone falls not far below that laid on the Island, thus showing that with land on the Island becoming scarce the tendency is for development to spread to the Mainland. The majority of work on the Island has been concentrated on the replacement of the existing old and defective drainage and in particular, the replacement of the sewers in Stubbs Road, Barker Road and along Pokfulam Road from Queen Mary Hospital to the Sandy Bay Outfall.
Resettlement and Housing Development
163. Extensions of the existing drainage serving the Housing Society's Healthy Village scheme on the Island and the resettlement areas of Li Cheng Uk and Shek Kip Mei in Kowloon, together with the new drainage systems required for the resettlement areas of Lo Fu Ngam, Tai Wan Hill and the Housing Authority scheme at Ma Tau Wei Road, have been considerable. In addition a large amount of forward planning was carried out on drainage work at proposed schemes for the Housing Authority and Resettlement Department.
Nullah Decking
164. A considerable programme of nullah decking was carried out during the year in order to remove traffic obstruc- tions in the main roads and sanitary nuisances. To these ends the Tai On Street nullah on the Island and Soy Street, Nelson Street and Cooke Street nullahs, together with 800 feet at the outfall end of Tonkin Street nullah, in Kowloon were decked.
Disposal Works and Intercepting Sewers
165. The urban areas of the Colony have been divided into sewage disposal areas with the intention of draining the sewage by gravity, and in some cases by pumping, to nine focal points where screening or similar treatment will be given before the effluent is discharged to the waters of the Colony by deep sea outfalls. Of these nine areas, the scheme covering the Yaumati area was virtually complete with the exception of the screens. Sewage from this area is concentrated at Anchor Street, necessitating two pumping stations. At Anchor Street the
30
Digitized by
solids will later be removed by rotary screens and transported and dumped at sea, while the liquids will be passed to the tidal flow through the harbour by means of a submarine pipe outfall.
166. Detail plans of schemes to cover a further three areas (Wanchai, North Point and Kowloon East) were almost complete with the exception of the design of the submarine outfalls. The intercepting sewer to serve the Wanchai area was laid.
Private Work
167. The number of proposed private works submitted for examination during the year was 699, which shows a slight increase over the number submitted in 1955/56. The number of applications for Crown land sales, permit areas, etc., was 611 and this item shows a slight decrease as against the number received during the previous year.
168. 1,261 drainage connexions were provided and this figure, in conformity with the longer length of drainage laid, shows an increase of over 200 against those provided in 1955/56.
ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE
Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer,
J. C. Brown, B.Sc. (Edin.), M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.
General
169. The maintenance, repair and overhaul of all Govern- ment electrical and mechanical equipment (exclusive of marine equipment) including motor vehicles, road rollers, mobile cranes, bulldozers, steam boiler installations, air conditioning plants, lifts, motors, automatic traffic control lights, printing machin- ery, refrigerators domestic appliances, etc. continued to be carried out and many items of new plant were installed.
Mechanical Section
170. At the end of the year, the total number of Government vehicles in service was 924 against an authorized establishment of 1,003. This number comprised 182 motor cycles; 106 cars; 222 light utility vans; and 414 heavy load carrying and special purpose vehicles. During the year 127 new vehicles were received and put into service and 178 old vehicles were taken out of service and disposed of on the recommendations of
31
Digitized by
Boards of Survey. In addition, 62 standard 3-ton lorries with locally constructed bodies were put into service to replace all the remaining ex-Army war time lorries and this completed the replacement programme for this class of vehicle.
171. Local construction of specially designed all-metal motor vehicle bodies included two heavy cemetery vans for the Urban Services Department; one patrol wagon and one medium general purpose van for the Police Department, and five 30 cwt. vans for general Government service. In addition, 100 refuse hand carts complete with bins and 50 replacement refuse bins were manufactured locally for the Urban Services Department and 75 refuse hand carts complete with bins were manufactured for the New Territories Administration.
172. New vehicle body construction completed by this section included 34 standard steel framed 3-ton dropside lorry bodies: 28 standard 3-ton covered lorry bodies; 3 standard 5-ton lorry bodies and 13 specially designed all-metal Land Rover canopies.
173. The construction and installation of the Mail Bag conveyor system at the G.P.O. Bridge and Pier at Connaught Road Central were completed and the conveyor handed over to the Post Office in working order in March.
174. The programme of carrying out major overhauls including the complete re-building of specially designed vehicle bodies continued and was extended to numerous types of vehicles belonging to various Government Departments. No less than 46 vehicles were completely stripped down and all damaged parts repaired or replaced by new parts manufactured by the Workshops.
175. The erection and installation on contract of the electrically operated lifts and ramps at the New Star Ferry Piers in Hong Kong and Kowloon proceeded. Four complete sets of lifts and ramps were completely installed and those located in the Kowloon West arm of the Pier were handed over to the Star Ferry Company, Ltd. in working order on 1st March. The installation of the New Star Ferry clock and chimes was completed by Workshop personnel.
176. Additional workshop equipment was received, installed and put into service. This included a tyre balancing machine; a 14 inch blade cross cut sawing machine; a 6 inch hollow chisel
32
Digitized by
:
mortising machine; a universal mobile hydraulic working plat- form; a double geared universal folding machine; a 7 inch X 5 feet gap bed lathe; a connecting rod boring jig; an electrical programme unit for signalling automatically starting and stop- ping times in the Workshop and five electrically operated synchronous time recording machines.
177. New mechanical plant received, assembled, tested and put into use included two 10-ton diesel road rollers, two 11-ton diesel road rollers and 1 diesel farm tractor.
178. The Mechanical Plant section was kept fully employed during the year in a wide variety of installation work which included water pumps, sewage pumping plants, air compressors with high pressure vehicle washing equipment, shoe-making machinery, tinsmith machinery, air-raid warning siren towers and a 50-ton universal tensile testing machine. In addition, a 13 K.W. diesel-engined generating set was installed in the Ta Ku Ling Police Station and a new emergency 55 K.W. diesel- engined generating set was installed in the New Government Offices.
179. The number of jobs completed during the year by the Mechanical Workshops totalled 36,003.
180. During the year the Transport Pool continued to operate satisfactorily and the 159 vehicles carried out over 30,000 details.
77 applicants for posts as motor drivers were tested and 59 who passed the test were engaged.
182.
Government vehicles were involved in a total of 555 accidents during the year.
Electrical Section
183. The number of items of electrical plant and appliances in use at the end of the year reached a total of 19,866-about 14% more than in the previous year. The periodical programme for servicing and maintaining in good running order the 1,064 motors (totalling 6,410 H.P.), 8,058 fans, 5,676 heaters and radiators, 1,011 cookers and hot-plates, 1,772 water heaters and boilers, and 2,285 miscellaneous items including such diverse equipment as electrical clocks, sterilizers, cine projectors,
33
Digitized by
typhoon signal masts, air raid warning sirens, sound recording equipment, etc. was carried out satisfactorily.
184. Notable major wiring installations completed during the year included two 480 H.P. and one 405 H.P. electric motors at the temporary Tai Po Water Pumping Station; two 370 H.P. electric motors at the Kau Wa Kang Water Pumping Station and 48 electric motors and associated switchgear at Mount Butler Roads Office Quarry. Altogether a total of 297 new wiring installations and major repairs and alterations involving 4,018 lighting points and 893 power points were carried out at various locations including Water Pumping Stations at Botanical Gardens, Elliot, Aberdeen, Tsuen Wan, Kau Wa Kang and Tai Po; Water Filtration Plant at Tsuen Wan; G.P.O. Bridge and Pier; New Star Ferry Piers at Hong Kong and Kowloon; and Custodian Wharf, etc. Vehicle actuated traffic control lights were installed at 6 major road junctions in various parts of the Island. In addition, 1,684 maintenance visits were made, 8,168 faults repaired, 1,008 installations tested and 454 minor repairs carried out on wiring installations.
185. The Electrical Workshop was fully employed during the year. 13,131 maintenance visits were made, 3,740 faults attended to, 4,856 minor repairs were carried out and 2,728 major jobs were carried out on domestic appliances and other electrical plant. 768 new installation tests were completed. In addition, the construction and installation of new typhoon signal masts located on Police Stations at Stanley, Aberdeen and Sha Tau Kok were completed.
186. At the end of the year, 64 lifts were in service in various Government buildings and 21 of these were directly maintained, repaired and serviced by this section. Lifts newly installed and completed under contract during the year included 1 at Western Police Station Rank and File Quarters, 1 at New District Offices Shamshuipo, 2 at Argyle Street Government Quarters, and 2 at the main block New Government Offices. addition, 6 lifts in the former Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Flats in Kowloon, now taken over by Government, were added to the total requiring maintenance.
187. Electrical contract specifications were prepared on behalf of the Port Works Office for wiring installations in the New Star Ferry Piers and for the Roads Office at the Mount
34
Digitized by
Butler Quarry Staff Quarters. The first stage of the wiring installation on the Kowloon West arm of the New Star Ferry Piers was completed.
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Section
188. Plant and equipment in Government use continued to increase involving an addition of 16% over the previous year. The annual maintenance programme for servicing and keeping in good running order the 47 air conditioning plants totalling 922 tons of refrigeration 136 room air coolers, 1,358 domestic type refrigerators, 9 mortuaries and cold stores, 9 film proces- sing units, 26 dehumidifiers, 43 ventilating and extraction plants and other miscellaneous items, including a blood plasma manu- facturing unit and 2 deep freeze cabinets for vaccines, was carried out satisfactorily.
189. Installations carried out under contract were:-new air conditioning plants in the Government House study and coding office (19 H.P.), Physiotherapy Clinic in Kowloon Hospital (9 H.P.), Physiotherapy Clinic in Wanchai Polyclinic (32 H.P.), Inland Revenue Department (75 H.P.), No. 1 Court in Supreme Court Building (15 H.P.), Arms and Ammunitions Stores and Radio Control Room in Police H.Q. (27 H.P.), Council Chamber in Central Government Offices (60 H.P.), and Black- head Signal Station (9 H.P.); room air coolers for the following Departments-Police (12), Registrar General (1), Education (6), Marine (5), Government Printer (5), Public Works (2), Registrar of Trade Unions (2), Treasury (2), Fire Brigade (1), Civil Aviation (Kai Tak Airport) (2), Secretariat (Telephone Ex- change) (3) and Medical (3); ventilating and extraction plants in the Treasury Revenue Branch; dehumidifiers in Government Offices (1), Library, Education Department (1), Telephone Exchange, Central Government Offices (3), Agricultural Station, Sheung Shui (1); and cold store at the By Products Pilot Plant in the Smithfield Abbatoir (1,600 cubic feet). The transfer of an existing air-conditioning plant from No. 1 Court to the Marriage Registry, Supreme Court,
Court, was completed. The installation of a cold store (120 cubic feet) in Lai Chi Kok Hospital and film processing unit in Kowloon Hospital was carried out by direct labour.
35
Digitized by Google
190. 11,707 maintenance visits were made and 859 faults repaired. 429 major and minor repairs were executed and 121 major jobs were carried out. Two air conditioning plants of 370 tons and 240 tons capacity respectively were operated and maintained. The latter plant worked 24 hours per day for 7 days each week for the first 10 months of the period, making a total run, under such conditions, of 28 months since it was first put into operation.
PORT WORKS OFFICE
Chief Engineer, J. J. Robson, A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I. Struct. E.
General
191. The work carried out can be considered under four main heads:
(a) maintenance of sea walls and piers and miscellaneous
dredging work;
(b) new construction work on reclamations, public piers and
other marine structures;
(c) miscellaneous works;
(d) operation of the P.W.D. Laboratory.
Maintenance
192. The maintenance of the Colony's public piers, seawalls and other marine structures was carried out, as in previous years, under an annual contract. The major part of this work consisted of repairs to fenders, deckings, walings, landing steps, handrails, etc.
193. Typhoon damage was slight as no typhoon passed sufficiently close to cause serious damage to harbour works. Extensive clearing of drainage outfalls had, however, to be undertaken after heavy rains and the sub-department's two dredging units, each consisting of a tug, a Priestman grab dredger, and three hoppers were used for this work.
194. These dredging units were also employed in the prep- aration of foundations for the seawalls at Hung Hom and Tsuen Wan Reclamations. One of the dredging units was hired for a period of two months to the contractor carrying out the Kai Tak Airport Development Scheme. A total of 195,000 cubic yards of material was dredged during the year.
36
Digitized by
H
195. Diving inspections were carried out on various piers and seawalls in addition to miscellaneous diving works under- taken for the Marine Department and Drainage Office. A rock which obstructed the approach to Castle Peak Pier was removed by underwater blasting, and the total of 400 hours actually spent underwater by the Government divers is indicative of the demands which were made upon their services.
196. Public dumping in reclamations at Cheung Sha Wan, Hung Hom and Kennedy Town produced 264,000 cubic yards of filling during the year.
New Star Ferry Piers.
New Construction
197. The contract for the construction of these piers, each comprising two arms joined by a base forming a U and pro- viding four berths on either side of the harbour, was let on the 1st of October 1955. Work commenced simultaneously both at the Hong Kong and Kowloon pier sites. The programme was complicated, as:-
(a) the new Kowloon pier had to be constructed over the site of the old pier without interrupting the ferry ser- vice which at present carries approximately 40 million passengers per year with a five minute service at rush hours.
(b) work on the Hong Kong pier had to be co-ordinated with the removal and re-siting of the twin 21 inch diameter cross harbour mains which carry drinking water from Kowloon and the New Territories to Hong Kong. These mains lay across the site of the eastern arm of the pier. (c) it was not originally thought possible to run ferries from an old pier to a new pier so that two new berths had to be made available on both sides of the harbour before the service could be diverted to the new piers and so make it possible to complete the Kowloon pier.
198. The western arm of the Kowloon pier and the eastern arm of the Hong Kong pier were completed on schedule by the end of the year. In the meantime experiments had been carried out on the ferry boats which proved that it was possible to provide additional 2nd class entrances on the lower deck so that the boat could operate between an old and a new pier. In view
37
Digitized by
of this it was decided to delay the opening of Hong Kong pier in order that:
(a) covered ways for passengers could be built from the pier frontage to Connaught Road-a distance of 450 feet. (b) a multi-storey car park and the surrounding concourse area fronting the pier could be completed prior to the opening of the pier.
199. The regular service from the west arm of the new Kowloon pier commenced in March. An immediate start was then made on the demolition of the old pier and the driving of reinforced concrete piles for the completion of the new pier.
Kun Tong Reclamation.
200. The work of reclaiming some 80 acres at Kun Tong Bay for industrial development continued throughout the year. The main contract for 1,500,000 cubic yards of filling was almost completed by the end of the year a total 1,400,000 cubic yards of earth having been dumped. In addition a further 61,000 cubic yards of material had been dumped in the form of an earth bund which sealed off the unfilled portion of the reclamation from the sea. The pool thus formed is to be filled
in under further contracts.
201. Filling for this reclamation was obtained by cutting down adjacent foothills which consisted mainly of decomposed granite. Resulting from this excavation sites for residential and workers' housing were being formed.
Sports Stadium, Sookunpoo.
202. The floodlighting, public address system and telephones were installed during the year thus completing the work on the Stadium the design of which was fully described in previous reports.
Kowloon City Ferry Pier.
203. The installation of the two electrically operated pas- senger lifts and six approach ramps was completed early in the year and the pier was opened by the Director (Hon. T. L. Bowring, C.M.G., O.B.E.) on the 3rd July. The Hong Kong & Yaumati Ferry Co. commenced their regular service from this pier to Wanchai on the following day.
38
Digitized by
Stewart Road Pier.
204. The construction of this pier which was described in previous reports was completed and handed over to Hong Kong & Yaumati Ferry Co. on the 1st June.
Site Preparation for Low Cost Housing, Hung Hom.
205. The removal of the hill adjacent to Ma Tau Wei Road, Hung Hom, continued throughout the year but only 91% of the work was completed. The slow progress made on this project was due largely to blasting charges being reduced to ensure the safety of persons occupying the flats built on the area already cleared.
Site Development at Tai Wan Hill, Hung Hom.
206. A further two sites for resettleinent housing blocks were handed over to the Architectural Office for building purposes but the completion of the last two sites and the levelling of open spaces was considerably delayed by difficult and dangerous site conditions.
Cheung Sha Wan Seawall and Reclamation.
207. The seawall 1,500 feet long to contain the reclamation was completed during the year. The reclamation, which is being carried out by public dumping, will provide 67.5 acres of land for housing and industrial development.
Extension to the Seawall at Kennedy Town.
208. This seawall, forming part of the proposed 1,500 feet long extension, is only 340 feet in length. Work was commenced towards the end of the year. The area behind this wall will be filled by public dumping to provide a site for the proposed new Abattoir.
Chai Wan Reclamation.
209. Public dumping at Chai Wan continued at a high rate and the dump had to be closed pending completion of protective and drainage works.
210. A 500 feet long pell mell rubble breakwater was con- structed early in the year and a further contract was commenced in January for the construction of approximately 1,120 feet of rubble mound to protect the seaward edge of the reclamation. This contract also included the construction of a granite pitched
39
Digitized
by
slope wall to the edge of the reclamation facing onto the small harbour which is being provided behind the original 500 feet length of breakwater. Work proceeded satisfactorily.
Seawall at Tsuen Wan Reclamation.
211. Dredging work was completed by the dredging unit of the department and a contract was prepared for the construc- tion of approximately 550 feet of seawall to contain the private reclamation and to provide temporary landing facilities for the proposed Hong Kong & Yaumati Ferry service from Jubilee Street to Tsuen Wan.
Hung Hom Reclamation.
212. The reclamation progressed rapidly and towards the end of the year it was found necessary to close the dump to public dumping, pending the construction of the seawall needed to retain the filling, although overburden from Government works at Tai Wan Hill, Ma Tau Wei Hill and Hok Un Quarry continued to be tipped into the reclamation.
213. Plans were prepared and dredging by Departmental plant was commenced for the erection of approximately 1,500 feet of the necessary seawall at the northern end of the reclama- tion.
Central Reclamation Stage III.
+
of
214. Plans were prepared for reclaiming an area approximately 262,500 square feet lying between Morrison Street and Rumsey Street and extending 250 feet seawards from the existing praya wall. It was not possible to commence actual reclamation work during the year as the necessary dredging plant was not available. However, as part of the preliminary work of this scheme, the alteration of Victoria Public Pier No. 12 to accommodate the Macao Ferries and the demolitions of V.P.Ps. No. 11 & No. 18 were undertaken and completed.
Other Design Works.
215. Designs and drawings were prepared for new piers at Tap Mun and Kat-O while preliminary investigation and designs. were carried out for new piers at Kei Ling Ha Hoi, Chimawan Prison and the Government Stores Department, North Point.
40
Digitized by
Miscellaneous Works
Boring.
216. (a) The land boring unit was chiefly engaged in Kun Tong Reclamation. Other works included boring at Tsuen Wan, Chai Wan, Tin Hau Temple Road, Shauki- wan, Causeway Bay and Ice House Street. 878 bores with a total depth of 14,685 feet were sunk.
(b) The marine boring unit was used extensively for investigation of sites for new construction work. Bores were sunk at Kat-O, Kei Ling Ha Hoi, Tap Mun, Tsuen Wan, Chimawan, Cheung Chau Island, Tsing Yi Island and Southern Fairway. Boring were also made at Gin Drinker's Bay, Kun Tong and other places. 270 bores with a total depth of 6,424 feet were sunk.
Minor Works.
217. Minor works carried out or commenced were:
(a) Repairs to 2,900 feet to seawall at Tai O were completed. (5) Eight 90-ton and three 50-ton mooring blocks were
constructed for the Marine Department.
(c) Inspections of private piers were carried out prior to the
renewal of permits and leases.
(d) Calculations and drawings submitted by private architects
for various marine structures were checked.
(e) A beacon was erected to mark the outfall of the Yaumati
intercepting sewer.
(f) Baulks of timber and concrete were provided along the rubble mound at Gin Drinker's Bay to afford protection to the refuse barges.
(g) A floating boom was installed at Gin Drinker's Bay refuse dump to prevent refuse from floating away. (h) Handrailings were installed on landing steps at several
public piers.
(i) A reinforced concrete pumphouse was built at the Central Reclamation quay wall to house the pumps for the air conditioning plant at the new American Consulate- General Building in Garden Road.
(j) Ten tramway poles were resited at Kennedy Town New
Praya for the Hong Kong Tramway Co., Ltd.
41
Digitized by Google
Surveys.
218. The Survey section was fully employed on many diverse types of surveying including land, marine and sub-marine works. All the works described in the preceding paragraphs were set out and the earth and rubble quantities measured by this section.
219. Progress and check surveys were carried out at regular intervals at public dumps and refuse dumps such as Cheung Sha Wan, Hung Hom Bay, Chai Wan and Gin Drinker's Bay in order to control dumping.
220. Other miscellaneous surveys carried out were:
(a) Soundings for various storm water drain and nullah
outfalls inside the harbour.
(b) Soundings and tidal current observations for a sewage
disposal scheme at Deep Water Bay.
(c) Tidal current observations in Kowloon Bay for the pre-
paration of a tidal model of the harbour.
(d) Surveys for the demolition of the rock at the approaches to Castle Peak Bay Pier and for establishing beacons at Silver Mine Bay and Tai Po.
(e) Routine survey for pier leases and permits.
(f) Surveys for the proposed new breakwaters at Tsing Yi Island and Cheung Chau Island, a public pier at Tsuen Wan and the Government Stores Department Pier at North Point.
Materials Testing Laboratory
221. During the year, both the number and the scope of the tests undertaken were increased. The Laboratory carried out work not only for the department but also for other depart- ments, private Architects and private Building Contractors.
222. A total number of 8,851 tests were made for the com- pressive strength of concrete which was 53% more than the previous year. Out of these, 565 tests were carried out for
private firms.
223. Other tests included the analysis of fresh concrete, the cement content of hardened concrete and an investigation into the accelerated strength of concrete.
42
Digitized by
224. A total number of 582 tests were made on the physical properties of cement and several brands new to the Colony were tested.
225. 343 tests were carried out on the physical properties, shearing strength, "Californian Bearing Ratio" values and salinity of various types of soils.
226. In the case of aggregate testing, a total of 1,048 tests were carried out during the year which included sieve analysis and tests on crushing strength, bulk density and organic im- purities.
227. 812 tests were made for the Hot Extraction of bitumen macadam and also 13 tests were carried out for other properties of bituminous materials.
228. Since the installation of the new Avery 50-ton universal testing machine in August, a total number of 166 tests had been carried out on mild steel rods for their tensile strength, per- centage elongation under load and quality when bent cold.
229. Other materials tested were hydrated lime, hollow tiles, wood wool slabs, fuel oil, rubber blocks and powder, and extracted quarry dust.
230. The following investigations were in hand:
J
(a) The effect of powdered rubber on bitumen 80/100 and
M.C. 4.
(b) The stabilization of Hong Kong laterite soil by hydrated
lime.
(c) The apparent changes of volume of sand under submerged
and drained condition.
(d) The determination of the permeability and "C.B.R." values of Hong Kong laterite soil and its application to pavement design.
ROADS OFFICE
Chief Engineer (Acting), F. A. Fisher, B.Sc., LL.B., A.M.I.C.E.
General
231. The continuous increase in traffic and general develop- ment kept this sub-department under continuous pressure and the lack of professional and technical staff, particularly of
43
Digitized by
VEHICLE
ESİ IN THOU
LENGTH OF ROADS IN COLONY
400
410)
CRE ON ROAD
420
28
440
450
MANTENANCE
70b0000
LENGTH
52
YEAR
53
EXPENDITURE
VEHICLE
BEADS
LICENESS
35
Digitized by Google
surveyors, made it very difficult to keep pace with the planning and new construction required.
232. A feature which has considerably added to the work of the office has been the increase of work in the New Territories as a result of the policy to provide roads to the more remote
areas.
233. The weather was exceptionally dry which permitted work to proceed with little interference and this was of particular assistance in the bridgework in hand.
234. The graph (p. 44) shows how the lengths of roads and numbers of vehicles have increased since the war and how expenditure has not increased in proportion to development.
Allocation of Expenditure
235. A high proportion of the year's reconstruction funds had to be used on the Castle Peak Road realignment, which was being carried out in conjunction with the laying of the new 48 inch diameter trunk water main from Tai Lam Chung, with the result that insufficient funds were available for the construc- tion and maintenance of other main roads.
Reconstruction-City Roads, Victoria
236. The widening and reconstruction of Upper Glenealy was completed during the year-an improvement which per- mitted the introduction of two-way traffic on this short-cut from the mid-levels to the central area and eased the congestion in the adjoining narrow section of Conduit Road. The work necessitated the demolition of an existing building, the resump- tion of part of the building site and the construction of a reinforced concrete retaining wall 40 feet in height.
237. Work was commenced on a major improvement to the junction of Garden Road and Bowen Road by the construction of an 80 foot diameter roundabout and the realignment and regrading of the roads. The scheme included the transplanta- tion of several fine palm trees to Victoria Park. Although complicated by the volume of traffic using this junction, the work proceeded satisfactorily.
238. The section of Des Voeux Road Central from Ice House Street to Pedder Street was reconstructed following the renewal of the tram track by the Hong Kong Tramways Ltd.
45
Digitized by
239.
Further work was carried out in the vicinity of the Hong Kong Stadium, and Cotton Path was widened to 40 feet consisting of a 20 foot footpath, an 18 foot carriageway and a 2 foot margin. These somewhat unusual widths were planned to permit the preservation of a row of trees bordering the Army Recreation Ground.
240. The junction of Tai Hang Road with Tung Lo Wan Road was redesigned and constructed to give better traffic circulation.
241. Shing Wong Street, sections of May Road, Conduit Road, Western Street, Wilmer Street, Moreton Terrace, Yun Ping Road, Yin Wa Street, Stewart Road, Belcher Street, Wanchai Gap Road, Wood Road and Victoria Road were reconstructed during the year.
242. Lengths of new road, forming part of the new Star Ferry Concourse, were also constructed.
243. The layout of the precincts of St. John's Cathedral was considerably altered. The right-of-way through the Cathedral grounds was closed and an alternative pedestrian way formed by the construction of a high-level footpath along the southern section of Murray Parade Ground to join Battery Path with Garden Road.
244. The car park on the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation's lot at Statue Square was closed and the area reinstated as a garden.
245. Minor works included the provision of new footpaths, bus bays, and the surfacing of playgrounds.
Island Roads-Outside the City limits
246. After a delay of several years due to the problems of squatter clearance, work was commenced on the extension of Tin Hau Temple Road to open up new areas of land for development.
247. At Aberdeen, where development is increasing, the layout of the main street was improved following the decking of the nullah by the Drainage Office and a bus terminus with shelters was provided.
46
Digitized by Google
248. Footpaths were provided to the bridges at Jardine's Corner and on Island Road over Beach Road and South Bay Road.
Kowloon Roads
249. Laichikok Road, between Prince Edward Road and Nan Chang Street, which had deteriorated rapidly under heavy double-decker bus traffic was completely resurfaced in concrete following the laying of the intercepting sewer along it. Its layout was changed to provide two 32 foot carriageways each permitting parking and two lanes of moving traffic, a 4 foot central island and two 16 foot footpaths. At first a section of the central island was planted with hedges, but unfortunately these were trampled down and it was found necessary to replace them with a concrete strip surmounted by a 4 foot high chain link fence to confine pedestrians to the main crossings.
250. The access road to King's Park was extended to Water- loo Road and re-named Wylie Road. A 22 foot carriageway was provided with one 10 foot and one 5 foot footpath. This has proved hardly adequate as it now carries extremely heavy traffic as a by-pass to Nathan Road.
251. Work was commenced on a contract for the site forma- tion, road works and drainage works for part of the proposed development at Kun Tong. When completed, this contract will provide over 10 acres of formed sites for housing, over one mile of road and about 2 miles of storm water drains and sewers.
252. Over twenty side streets and minor roads were resur- faced.
253. New playgrounds in Maple Street and Willow Street were surfaced, providing nearly 3 acres of playing area includ- ing football and basket ball pitches.
254. At Kai Tak Airport routine maintenance work was carried out including patching the taxi tracks, hardstanding and runways, surfacing a new area of hardstanding and regular painting of runway markings.
New Territories Roads
255. The main work continued to be the realignment of Castle Peak Road between the 6th and 94 mile stones. A section
47
Digitized by
of this road to the east of Tsuen Wan was raised as much as 12 feet above the existing road.
256. The new bridge at Tsuen Wan was completed and opened to traffic.
257. Other sections of the main New Territories ring road were resurfaced and 11 bus bays completed at various places.
258. An access road, including a bridge of three spans of 14 feet each, was constructed to give access to the new Castle Peak Hospital.
259. The reconstruction of Tai Po Market Bridge was com- menced. The new bridge will be 155 feet long and 72 feet wide providing dual carriageways each 22 feet wide and two 11 foot footpaths. The bridge is of reinforced concrete on precast concrete piles. Good progress was made during the year, half the new bridge was opened to traffic. The old bridge was completely demolished and the greater part of the second half of the new bridge was also completed.
260. Minor roads were constructed to link various remote villages with the main roads. These are generally of light construction and average 10 feet wide with passing places at appropriate intervals. Those at present in hand are at Ting Kok, Lin Fa Tei, San Ha and a similar road on Lantao between Silvermine Bay and Cheung Sha. Almost 94 miles of these roads were constructed during the year.
261. The new bridge at Ho Chung on the Sai Kung road was completed and opened to traffic.
Miscellaneous
262. Surface dressing to extend the life of existing roads was carried out from time to time on various roads throughout the Colony. Most of this work was satisfactory but one or two failures were recorded where the stone chippings did not adhere to the sprayed bitumen. From a careful study of all the avail- able technical publications on this subject, it appears that similar failures occur from time to time in the United Kingdom. The greatest care is taken to record all details of surface dressing to endeavour to obtain completely consistent results.
48
Digitized by Google
Assistance is being given by the Road Research Laboratory in England and by specialists from the bitumen producing com- panies.
263. A steel bridge was constructed across Connaught Road Central, between Blake Pier and the General Post Office Building to transport mail bags. This bridge has a span of 80 feet, a width of 10 feet and carries a belt conveyor system which was designed and installed by the Electrical & Mechanical Office. This eliminates the practice of hand-carting mail bags across Connaught Road and prevents interference with traffic.
Quarries
264. The Government quarries, which are operated by Roads Office direct labour, continued to meet the demands of the Public Works Department for crushed stone, fines and bituminous macadam throughout the year although the quantity of broken stone used showed considerable increase over previous years.
265. During the year an entirely new quarry was opened on Mount Butler to replace the quarry at Tsat Tze Mui, which had become a nuisance to the surrounding development.
266. The plant for the new quarry was largely constructed by the staff of the Office. Conveyors and steel gantries were erected by direct labour. Stone crushing plant and bituminous mixing plant were also installed. Office and store buildings were erected by contract and the work of constructing quarters for a large number of the quarry staff was commenced as this area has no public transport.
267. The quarry will be able to produce 250 tons of bitu- minous macadam in a normal working day.
268. The transfer of plant and operations from Tsat Tze Mui to Mount Butler was carried out with very little interrup- tion to the production of materials. The new quarry commenced operating in December and was in full production by the end of the year. The new plant was designed to produce a dense mix bituminous surfacing and a total of more than 1,000 tons was laid during the year on roads and junctions subject to exceptionally heavy traffic.
49
Digitized by
269. The following table shows the output from the quarries in comparison with the four previous years:-
Bitumem Macadam (Tons)
Crushed Stone (Tons)
52/53
53/54 54/55 55/56 56/57
52/53 53/54 54/55 55/56 56/57
That Tze Mui
Quarry
Hok Un Quarry
Mt. Butler Quarry.
Total.
88,646 97,583 103,457 100,353 89,953.85 25,339 21,326,24,826 30,352 22.107.45
92,521 84,980 105,331 103,409 113,287.75 | 23,656 26,938 25,107 30,166 32,212.80
†2.119.30
*11,821.00
1
181,167 182,363 208,788 203,762 215,062.60 48,995 | 48,264 | 49,933 | 60,518 56,439.55
* Commenced crushing in December.
+ Commenced tarring in January.
1
Street Lighting
270. Steady progress was maintained with the improvement and extension of public street lighting. 460 new lamps were installed and a considerable number of gas and low-powered electric lamps was replaced by more modern and powerful lamps.
271. In addition to the few remaining unlit streets orders were placed with the electricity companies for the installation of lights in a number of Resettlement areas and in the towns and villages in the New Territories.
272. In Kowloon over 400 street lamps which were situated within the approaches to Kai Tak Airport were converted to an Aero-screened type to avoid interference with night flying on the new runway under construction.
Public Utilities
273. During the year more than 8,000 openings were made in the roads by utility companies for new cables, pipes, etc. and for repairs. All these openings were reinstated by the trench reinstatement section of the office.
Other Works
274. The Roads Office Storm Damage Organization was on call for general emergency work during bad weather.
50
Owing
Digitized by
to the exceptionally dry weather there was very little damage and calls for assistance were few.
275. The formation of new terraces, access paths, steps, channels, catchwaters, etc. at Wo Hop Shek and Sandy Ridge Cemeteries was continued as required by the Urban Services Department.
276. It was found necessary to extend the contract for the removal of the remainder of Morrison Hill for a further 24
years.
Street Name Plates
277. 750 new street name plates were erected during the year.
Traffic Control and Aids
278. New traffic signs, pedestrian railings, white lines and road marking studs were installed in collaboration with the Traffic section of the Police Department. Experiments were continued to find a more permanent form of road marking for white lines and zebra crossings.
WATERWORKS OFFICE
Waterworks Engineer, R. H. Woodman, B.Sc. Assistant Waterworks Engineer, T. O. Morgan, B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E.
General
279. Industry continued to expand, large new housing sites were developed and many blocks of buildings for resettlement were completed with the inevitable result-a further increase in the demand for water.
280. At the beginning the effects of the previous year's early end of the wet season were very evident and only a 24-hour per day zoned supply was possible. The expected rains failed to materialize during April and even more drastic restrictions had to be enforced. On May 1st the hours of supply were reduced to 3 every other day, the most severe restrictions which had so far been imposed. The rainfall for May and the first part of June was above average and on May 20th restrictions were eased slightly to 24 hours per day and again on June 18th to 7 hours per day. The end of June and the beginning of July were comparatively dry. It was becoming apparent that the
51
Digitized by Google
reservoirs would not fill and on July 19th the daily hours of supply were reduced to 5. Despite this reduction the reservoirs did not fill and for the first time on record not one of the 13 overflowed and not a single district was given a full supply.
281. Although the quantity of water held in storage at the beginning of the dry season was the smallest recorded at this time of the year since Jubilee Reservoir was completed, the supply was maintained at 5 hours per day throughout the winter. This was made possible partly owing to the prospect of obtain- ing water from Tai Lam Chung in the early spring and partly owing to the very successful operation of the two emergency pumping schemes which were inaugurated towards the end of the last financial year and described in last year's Report.
282. Of the two pumping schemes that at Shatin operated successfully and apart from normal routine overhauls, con- tinuously throughout the year. The much larger Taipo scheme was stopped for about two months during the summer when there were prospects of Jubilee Reservoir filling from its normal catchment area. During this time the opportunity was taken to install safety relief valves at all the pumping stations and to replace the two small electric pumps, which had previously restricted the "flow" with the large electric pump from Tytam Tuk at the highest pumping station.
283. The installation of the relief valves solved the problem of protecting the main against the very large surge pressures which had previously been experienced every time a power failure occurred and which had resulted in numerous burst pipes. The installation of the larger pump increased the output of the scheme by approximately 50% to just under 4 million gallons per day.
284. During the year the two pumping schemes added 1,252 million gallons to the Colony's reserves and of this quantity no less than 853 million gallons were delivered when the water was most needed, during the six dry months October to March.
285. The usual problems attendant upon drastic curtailment of the hours of supply were again very much in evidence. A large programme of renewals and improvements including temporary alterations to the distribution system was carried out
52
་
+
+
·
Digitized by
to obtain the maximum benefit from the limited quantity of water available for disposal.
Rainfall.
Supply
286. The rainfall for the year as recorded by the Royal Observatory was 67.32 inches. This is 17.42 less than the average of 84.74 inches and compares with an average of 68.17 inches recorded during the year by the raingauges in the various Waterworks catchment areas.
Storage.
287. The following table gives details of storage in the impounding reservoirs:-
Date
Storage in Million
Remarks
Gallons
April 1st
1,858.27
Below normal.
April 30th
1,133.69
Minimum, and well below normal.
September 16th
5,034.42
Maximum. 937 below full capacity.
April 1st 1957
1,699.82
Below normal. Excluding Tai Lam
Chung.
April 1st 1957
1,197.23
April 1st 1957
2,897.05
In Tai Lam Chung New Reservoir.
Total. Well above normal.
Consumption.
288. The urban areas were supplied with 12,008 million gallons of water and the New Territories villages with a further 453 million gallons, a decrease of 671 and an increase of 49 million gallons respectively over the previous year. The total number of hours of supply throughout the year amounted to 1,709.5 as compared with 2,343 hours in 1955/56, being an average of 4.6 hours per day compared with 6.4 hours per day.
289. The consumption on the 7-hour period attained the peak figure of 44.22 million gallons on July 9th. The maximum daily consumption 58.19 million gallons (the highest ever recorded) occurred during the Chinese New Year holiday when a full
53
Digitized by
supply was given from 6.30 a.m. on the 30th to 10.00 p.m. on the 31st January. This was the only public holiday when a relaxation of the water restrictions was permitted.
Distribution.
290. The very short hours of supply made it extremely difficult to ensure a reasonably equitable distribution of the water. To improve the situation and remedy complaints, a large number of mains and submains was laid to enlarge or to replace old and encrusted ones.
Water Analysis.
291. During the year the Government Pathologist and the Government Chemist regularly sampled and tested water taken from service reservoirs and consumers' taps. The standard of purity was generally satisfactory and in the few cases where it was not reached the causes were traced and remedial action taken.
292. A total of 302 samples was taken from service reservoirs and of these 293 or 97% were up to standard, that is to say, they showed an absence of coliform organisms in 100 c.c. The cause of only one of the 9 unsatisfactory samples from service reservoirs was not traced and the inlet and outlet valves at the reservoir from which this sample was taken were sterilized as a precaution. A check sample was found to be satisfactory.
293. A total of 977 samples was taken from consumers' taps and 870, representing 89%, were found to be satisfactory. Of the 107 unsatisfactory samples 4 were probably due to con- tamination at service reservoirs, and the portions of the distribution system affected were chlorinated at a higher rate than normal until the pollution was cleared. One bad sample was traced to contamination in a little used main at Mount Cameron and 9 to newly laid mains in Kowloon; after flushing and chlorinating repeat samples were found to be satisfactory. Thirty-three of the unsatisfactory samples were found in Kowloon Tong where there was persistent pollution in the Cumberland Road area. Consumers in this area were warned to boil their drinking water and an examination of all premises in the area was put in hand to determine the source of the pollution. The remaining samples were traced to local defects in inside services which were chlorinated and repairs as neces-
54
Digitized by
sary carried out. Second samples taken for check purposes were satisfactory.
Pumping.
294. The number of gallons pumped as compared with the previous year was as follows:
1956/57
1955/56
Increase
Raw Water. Million Gallons.
Filtered Water. Million Gallons.
Total.
Million Gallons.
3,673
2,993
6,666
2,811
2,189
5,000
862
804
1,666
*
The total quantity pumped was approximately 33.3% more than during last year.
Waste Detection.
295. The activities of this section were again limited because of the short hours of supply. Attention was confined to tracing visible leaks in mains and inside services and the prevention of the use of water for purposes other than purely domestic.
Metered Services.
296. During the year 4,756 additional metered services were installed on the Mainland and 2,452 on the Island, bringing the total to 57,305 of which 29,973 were on the Mainland and 27,332 on the Island.
Workshops.
297. The workshop carried out a large amount of work in connexion with the Tai Lam Chung Scheme and a considerable amount of overtime was done to complete the orders on time. A total of 1,747 orders were completed of which 1,649 were either for the Tai Lam Chung Scheme or for the maintenance of the Waterworks. 41,414 meters were overhauled by the meter repair shop which represents 72.3% of all meters installed in consumers' premises and is an increase of 9.6% over the number overhauled last year.
298. The 38 inch radial drill and the 20 inch shaping machine ordered in 1955/56 were received and installed.
Mainlaying.
Renewals and Improvements
299. Mainlaying was concentrated on extensions to new development, alterations necessitated by road reconstruction
55
Digitized by Google
and the enlargement of under-sized pipes in areas where pressures were inadequate.
300. A total of 190,364 feet of piping varying in size between 14 inch and 18 inch was laid, the more important work completed being as follows:-
Hong Kong.
(1) To improve pressures and alleviate complaints:
(a) Wanchai District. A 14 inch diameter pipe in Queen's Road East between Monmouth Path and Anton Street was enlarged
to 18 inch and a new 15 inch link main laid in Anton Street between Queen's Road and Johnston Road.
(b) Central District. A 6 inch diameter main in Pedder Street
was relaid in 10 inch.
(c) Bonham Road. 6 inch and 8 inch diameter pipes in Bonham
Road were enlarged to 8 inch and 10 inch respectively.
(2) Various sizes of mains were relaid in the following roads in
conjunction with reconstruction work:
Mainland.
Des Voeux Road Central, Victoria Road, Bowen Road, Shing Wong Road, Garden Road and Robinson Road.
(1) To improve pressures and alleviate complaints: ----
(a) Approximately 3,500 feet of 18 inch_piping were laid in Clearwater Bay Road, between Prince Edward Road and the access road to Chuk Yuen.
(b) Approximately 2,000 feet of 12 inch piping were laid to replace section 5 of the 5 inch and 6 inch diameter pipes supplying the Yuen Long area.
(2) To provide for new development:
(a) Approximately 1,600 feet of 18 inch and 1,300 feet of 12 inch piping were laid in Castle Peak Road through Tsuen Wan.
(b) Approximately 1,600 feet of 18 inch, 500 feet of 15 inch and 2,500 feet of 12 inch piping were laid to provide a supply to the Kun Tong area.
Service Reservoirs.
301. All service reservoirs were cleaned and inspected and the inlet and outlet valves checked and repaired where necessary. Minor repairs were carried out to the Yaumati Reservoir and the outlet from the Elliot Reservoir was enlarged from 14 inch to 24 inch diameter. Two new service reservoirs, one at Ma Tau Wei and one at Kau Wa Kang, were completed and put into service during the year.
Catchwaters.
302. During the dry season all the catchwaters were inspected. The one on Beacon Hill was found to be leaking
56
Digitized by Google
a very badly and approximately 7,000 feet of the dry weather flow channel was completely reconstructed. Minor repairs to prevent leaks were effected on all the others, and many small landslides were cleared and the catchwaters desilted.
in size
worke:
in the
in A
303. In order to obtain data for the economical design of the many miles of catchwaters which have to be built for Tai Lam Chung Scheme, a measuring flume was constructed and a flow recorder installed in the Shing Mun catchwater.
New Pumping Plant.
304. Eastern Station. An oil engine pumping unit was Pa received the previous year with its fly wheel damaged. A replacement was obtained and the set installed, tested and put into operation.
SITE รา
#
Frat
hamed!
ONE 27-
ters
be less
305. Elliot Station. The pumping equipment ordered in 1953/54 was not delivered but the Crown Agents advised that it would be shipped towards the end of March.
306. Aberdeen Trunk Main. One of the oil engine units taken over last year from the Port Works dredger was after an overhaul installed as a booster on the Aberdeen/Elliot pipeline and, as a result, 50% more water can be pumped daily to Elliot Filters from the Aberdeen Reservoir.
Kowloon Rapid Gravity Filters.
307. All the equipment for the new 7 million gallon per day capacity filters was delivered and installed, and the plant put into operation. A contract was let for the construction of a 5 million gallon service reservoir on a site adjacent to the new filters. One half of the reservoir was completed and put into service.
Tytam-Shaukiwan Supply.
308. All the equipment for the new 3 million gallon per day capacity filters was delivered and installed, and the plant put into operation. The construction of a 4 million gallon service reservoir adjacent to the filters was also completed and put into service in conjunction with the filters.
Eastern and Albany Conversion Scheme and Tin Hau Temple
Road Supply.
309. The details of this scheme were given in last year's report. The reservoir site is on the hillside above King's Road,
57
Digitized by
but the formation of the essential access road necessitates the removal of a large number of squatter huts and the construc- tion of the road was delayed pending their removal. Con- sequently, it was not possible to start work on the service reservoir.
Tsuen Wan Supply.
310. The necessity for this new scheme was explained in the 1955/56 report. The new service reservoir, which will have a capacity of 5 million gallons, was more than half completed and a large portion of the trunk distribution system laid. The delivery of pipes for the 24 inch diameter outlet from the reservoir was well behind schedule, none being received.
Kun Tong Development Stages I & II and Housing Zone No. 1. 311. A large project is in hand in Kun Tong Bay to provide land for industrial development and housing sites for factory workers. There is no public water supply within 3 miles of the new development and, as the nearest distribution pipelines are far too small in size to be extended to Kun Tong, a new dis- tribution area needs to be formed. Kun Tong will eventually be supplied from a new service reservoir which will be con- structed in the area as part of the Tai Lam Chung Scheme. As a temporary measure, however, arrangements have been made to give a supply from the Diamond Hill Service Reservoir. The laying of the trunk main from Diamond Hill to Kun Tong was commenced.
Tai Lam Chung Scheme.
312. This scheme has been described in detail in previous reports and is being carried out under the control partly of Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Binnie, Deacon and Gourley, and partly of this office. It will provide a maximum of 40 million gallons of additional water per day after its resources have been fully developed by the construction of catchwater channels to divert into the Tai Lam Valley water which would otherwise flow to waste.
313. During the year soft rock was encountered in the foundations of the main dam. Approximately 12,000 cubic yards of this material had to be removed and consequently, the construction of the dam was delayed. Satisfactory progress
58
Diglized by Google
had, however, been made and it was found possible to commence impounding water early in the summer. Prior to the first week in August, however, when the villagers of Tai Lam Chung and Kwan Uk Ti were removed to a new block of quarters built for them in Tsuen Wan, some water had to be run to waste to avoid flooding the two villages.
314. The scheme was officially declared open by Lady Patricia Lennox-Boyd when the new filters at Tsuen Wan were put into operation on March 7th. On this day there were 1,450 million gallons impounded in the reservoir and the following works had been completed:-
(a) The construction of the three low gap dams.
(b) The delivery tunnels between Tai Lam Chung and Tsuen Wan, approximately 8,700 yards in length and generally 6 feet 9 inches in diameter.
(c) The laying of approximately 8,000 feet of 48 inch diameter pipe between the tunnel, the outlet portal and the pumping station at Tsuen Wan.
(d) The construction of one half of the pumphouse at Tsuen Wan and the installation of pumping equipment of 20 million gallon per day capacity.
(e) The laying of approximately 1,800 feet of 36 inch diameter pipe between the pumphouse and the filtration plant.
(f) The construction of one half of the filter house and the installation of filtration equipment to treat 20 million gallons of water per day.
(g) The laying of approximately 10,000 feet of 48 inch and 2,000 feet of 36 inch diameter piping between the filters and the Lai Chi Kok Service Reservoir.
(h) The laying of 13,500 feet of 36 inch, 7,500 feet of 30 inch and 15,000 feet of 24 inch diameter piping between Lai Chi Kok Gap, Kau Wa Kang and Diamond Hill. (i) The construction of a pumphouse and the installation of
pumping plant at Kau Wa Kang.
(j) The construction of a 12 million gallon service reservoir at Kau Wa Kang, a 5 million gallon one at Diamond Hill and another of the same capacity at Ma Tau Wei.
59
Digitized by
(k) The laying of approximately 20,000 feet of 30 inch, 4,000 feet of 24 inch and 3,000 feet of 21 inch diameter piping between the service reservoirs at Lai Chi Kok and Ma Tau Wei.
(1) The laying of 4,500 feet of 30 inch and 1,000 feet of 24 inch diameter piping to link up the new Garden Road pumping station with the service reservoirs at Albany and Bowen Road.
315. Satisfactory progress was made on the construction of the catchwater tunnel and settling basin, the construction of the second half of the pumping station at Tsuen Wan, the construction of the second half of the filter house and the installation of the filtration equipment also at Tsuen Wan, and the construction of a balance tank at Kau Wa Kang. Contracts were let for the construction of 34,000 feet of catchwater channel and tunnels. New orders were placed for pipes and valves to complete the scheme. Survey work was continued for the construction of the balance of the catchwater channels.
New Reservoir-Lantao Island.
316. The Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Binnie, Deacon and Gourley, who had been commissioned to prepare a report on the possibility of obtaining additional water supplies from Lantao, completed detailed investigations in the Shek Pik valley.
317. Unfortunately the site investigations were discouraging and the Consultants considered that a conventional concrete filled cut-off could not be formed through the water bearing gravel below the proposed dam. They were, however, of the opinion that a watertight barrier could be formed by using the clay cement method of grouting alluvial deposits, a method devised by a French firm, but recommended that a trial length to test the effectiveness of the grouting should be done prior to letting any other contracts.
318. They
They were accordingly instructed to negotiate a contract for a grout test and to proceed with the design of the cut-off seal, the main dam and other essential works. Arrangements were commenced for the construction of the necessary quarters and offices, water supply, etc., for the personnel to be employed on the test.
60
Digitized by
Western New Territories Supply-Stage 1.
319. The township of Yuen Long in the New Territories and the neighbouring villages of Ping Shan and Au Tau are supplied from a stream in the Hung Shui Hang valley. There is a small dam capable of impounding approximately 3 million gallons. The water is piped to the area through two pipelines, one 5 inch and one 6 inch diameter, each being approximately 4 miles in length. During the summer months and at least part of the winter months, there is ample water available, but owing to the limited carrying capacity of the two pipes Yuen Long has suffered from shortage of water while quantities have run to waste at the intake. A start was made on replacing the two small diameter pipes with one of 12 inch diameter.
Deep Well Investigations-New Territories.
320. A boring rig with ancillary equipment was purchased in 1953 to investigate the possibility of developing underground sources of water in the New Territories. The sinking of three holes was attempted with the rig, but the plant operators had no previous training and experience has shown that deep well boring is very specialized work requiring the services of an expert fully conversant with the technique of deep drilling. A contract was accordingly awarded to a specialist firm to operate the equipment. They commenced work early in January and completed one hole without finding any water.
Miscellaneous Work
New Territories Supply.
321.
(a) Ping Chau-Mirs Bay.
The construction of a small dam to impound approxi- mately 500,000 gallons of water was completed, and the reservoir area was fenced in to prevent pollution by cattle. The villagers subsequently excavated all the soft earth out of the reservoir area and thereby increased its capacity to approximately 750,000 gallons.
(b) Kat O Island-Mirs Bay.
This Island has approximately 3,000 inhabitants who rely on six wells 10-15 feet deep for their water supply. Every winter there is an acute shortage and when water is available it is very often brackish and not fit for drink-
61
Digitized by
ing. Five new wells were sunk and lined with concrete, and two storage tanks of approximately 3,000 gallons each constructed.
Castle Peak Hospital.
322. An intake to provide a supply of water for the hospital was built in the Lam Ti valley stream and roughing filters constructed adjacent to it. A 10,000 gallon storage tank was erected near the hospital site and connected up to the roughing filters by approximately 8,000 feet of 4 inch diameter cement asbestos pipe.
Irrigation-New Territories.
323. The two most ambitious schemes attempted so far in connexion with irrigation were completed, namely the construc- tion of two dams, one in the Hung Shui Hang valley and one in the Lam Ti valley. They are approximately 75 feet high and impound a total of approximately 50 million gallons of water. Work was completed in time to enable both to be filled before the end of March and much needed water was available for the planting of the first rice crop.
324. Various other small projects consisting either of storage ponds, diversion dams and channels or shallow wells were completed at San Tin, Sha Tong, Ta Ku Ling, Tai Long, Cheung Tau Po, Wu Kam Tin, Sha Kok Mi and Ha Tsuen. Surveys and working drawings were completed for new work.
Waterworks Staff Quarters.
325. The majority of the pumping stations and filtration plants are situated in isolated places away from the urban districts. They have to be in operation practically every day for the full 24 hours and the afternoon and night shift workers find difficulty in getting to and from work. New quarters were erected for the staff at Taipo Road and Sai Wan filtration plants and for the pumping station staff at Tsuen Wan, Kau Wa Kang and Albany.
326.
Revenue and Expenditure
Water accounts were, as usual, sent out quarterly and supplementary and miscellaneous accounts rendered as due. Approximately 219,644 water accounts dealt with compared with 191,241 in the previous year. The water rates at $0.80
62
Digitized by Google
per unit of 1,000 gallons for trade and domestic supply and $2.00 per unit for shipping and construction purposes remained unchanged.
KAI TAK AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners.
327. During the year good progress was made with the reclamation work required for the new airport. Some initial difficulties had to be overcome before all operations were fully co-ordinated but by modifying their methods and augmenting their plant with a large hopper suction dredger adapted for sand pumping the Contractors succeeded in reaching a gross output of over one million cubic yards of material per month.
328. By the end of March a total net quantity of 1,360,000 cubic yards of mud had been removed and 4,450,000 cubic yards of sand had been dredged and placed in the reclamation; the estimated total net quantities of mud and sand are 2,100,000 cubic yards and 8,000,000 cubic yards respectively. 1,200,000 cubic yards of decomposed granite had been removed from the Kowloon Hills and the Hill of the Sung and placed in the reclamation and 8,400 feet of seawall had been constructed using stone from the Kun Tong quarry, Kowloon hills and the Hill of the Sung. The new fuel jetty was under construction and excavation had started for the culvert of 72 inch pipes which will temporarily carry the flow from the Clearwater Bay Road nullah under the new taxiway. Preparations were well advanced for future work on pavements and services. A stone crushing plant, manufactured locally except for the actual crushers, was erected prior to stock piling of stone for pavement construction. A pipe factory was put into operation and is now making the pipes for the airport drainage system and the 72 inch foul sewer. The completion date for this initial main contract for the airport development is 26th August, 1958.
329. Preliminary design and planning work for future contracts-airport lighting, the terminal building, the terminal apron, the realignment of the existing nullah north of the Clearwater Bay Road and the appurtenant bridges-was well advanced and close liaison was maintained with the Roads and Drainage Offices. The advent of the new civil jet aircraft which
63
Digitized by
will probably soon be in extensive operational use, with their large size and heavy wheel loadings, has posed many problems including pavement design, structural design, movement control, apron layout and passenger and baggage handling in the terminal building. These have been fully investigated in conjunction with the appropriate Government Departments. Messrs. Ramsey, Murray, White & Ward have been appointed Consulting Architects for the terminal building. The general layout of this building has been agreed and the preliminary sketch plans have been prepared. The site of the new terminal area is on the western end of the existing airport so construc- tion work thereon cannot start until the new runway is in operation. Considerable thought has been given to arrange- ments for the interim period to ensure minimum inconvenience to all parties concerned.
EXPENDITURE
330. The total expenditure during the year amounted to some $160,212,000 as compared with $123,490,000 in 1955 56. Approximately $112,837,000 was spent on major public works and $21,113,000 on recurrent maintenance works. Salaries and other administrative costs accounted for some $21,0-18,000. The following comparative statement shows the expenditure on Public Works during the four years 1953 54 to 1956, 57.
Personal
Emoluments Non-
and Other Recurrent
Charges
Recurrent
Rehabili- tation Loan
Mis- cellaneous
Total
$
1953/54,
16,277,000 30,608,000 19,629,000
1954/55...... 16,888,000 45,100,000 17,480,000 ⠀
1955/56...... 18,646,000 81,434,000 18,629,000
1956/57...... 21,048,000 112,837,000 21,113,000
25,000 8,513,000 75,052,000
3,377,000 82,845,000
4,781,000 123,490,000
5,214,000 160,212,000
STAFF WELFARE
331. Canteen. The canteen in the lower ground floor of the Central Government Offices is a considerable convenience to officers of this Department, the majority of whom work in this
64
Digitized by Google
building. The Waterworks sub-department canteen opened last year at Bullock Lane depot has also proved popular.
332. Education. Continued efforts were made in assisting interested members of the Department to attend classes of instruction at various educational institutions or centres, whilst approval was freely given to other members to undertake teaching duties outside of their normal office hours in Govern- ment or non-Government institutions, etc.
333. Sports, Picnics, etc. Competed for within the Depart- ment are the "Mirams" Shield for football, the "Littlejohn" Trophies for golf and table tennis, the "Shewan" Shield for golf, and the "Forbes" Shield for lawn bowls. Each of these trophies produced keen competition. In addition the Port Works foot- ball team and that of the Waterworks entered for the "Chinese Civil Servants Recreation Club Shield". The Drainage Office held a successful launch picnic in August. The Waterworks team won the "Littlejohn" trophy for table tennis and were runners-up in the "Mirams" Cup football competition. A fur- ther trophy, the "Woodman" Challenge Cup for miniature football, has been donated this year, to be competed for within the Waterworks Office.
334. Facilities continued to be made available for members to hire Government transport for private picnics to the country- side or bathing resorts.
335.
Welfare Officers. The Headquarters' Directorate and heads of all sub-departments continued to make themselves readily available to all members of the staff who considered they were in need of advice or assistance either in their official or private lives.
APPRECIATION
336. The year has once again been one of record expenditure and I wish to express my sincere thanks to all members of the department for their loyal and conscientious service.
J. FORBES, O.B.E., B.SC., M.I.C.E.,
Chartered Civil Engineer, Acting Director of Public Works.
May 1957.
65
Digitized by Google
Digitized by