Director of
Public Works
Hong Kong
BROIL
Price: $5
Departme
Lubran
HONG KONG
...
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To: The New York Public Library.
P. W. D. # 1,000-3/54-A9092
Your Ref. AA 9255 P5
of 18 December, 1956.
With the compliments of the
Director of Public Works.
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HONG KONG
ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORT
BY THE
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR 1955-56
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. F. C. JENNER, Government PRINTER.
AT THE Government Press,
JAVA ROAD, HONG KONG.
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PREFACE
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
General
CONTENTS
Office Buildings
City Hall
Residential Buildings
Paragraph
1
-
6
7 105
-
7 -
9
10 - 13
14
15
16
18
19
-
21
Civil Aviation Department
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry
Education Department
Fire Brigade
36
2 283
22
35
Medical Department
-
37 50
New Territories Administration
51 - 53
Police Department
54
65
Prisons Department
66
67
Public Works Department
68
73
Resettlement Department
74
-
83
Royal Hong Kong Defence Force
84
-
85
Royal Observatory
086
Social Welfare Office
87
Urban Services Department
Miscellaneous
88 99
100
-
105
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CONTENTS Contd.
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
106
Paragraph
116
CROWN LANDS AND SURVEYS OFFICE
117 140
-
Crown Lands
117
121
Drawing Office
122
126
Survey
127
135
Valuation & Resumption
Planning
DRAINAGE OFFICE
General
Sewerage
136
138
139
*
140
141
d
156
141
143
144
148
Anti-Malarial Works
149
Surface Water Drainage
150
153
Typhoon and Rainstorm Damage
154
Private Works
155
-
156
ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE
157
176
General
157 159
<
Mechanical Section
160
-
169
Electrical Section
-
170 173
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Section
174
176
PORT WORKS OFFICE
177
*
209
Maintenance
177
182
New Construction
183 198
Miscellaneous Works
199
203
Material Testing Laboratory
204
209
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CONTENTS-Contd.
ROADS OFFICE
General
Reconstruction Policy
Reconstruction-City Roads, Victoria
Other Reconstruction-Island
Paragraph
210 - 271
210 213
-
214 216
J
217 - 223
224 228
-
Reconstruction-Kowloon and New Territories 229 - 238
New Roads
239 247
Miscellaneous
Quarries
Street Lighting
248 - 257
258 - 262
263 267
Other Works
Traffic Control and Aids
WATERWORKS OFFICE
268 - 270
271
272 - 319
General
272 280
Supply
Renewals and Improvements
281 - 293
294
311
Miscellaneous Work
312 318
Revenue and Expenditure
319
KAI TAK AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
320
322
EXPENDITURE
323
STAFF WELFARE
324 - 330
APPRECIATION
331
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PREFACE
This report which covers the activities of the Public Works Department for the financial year ended 31st March, 1956, 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.
3. The expatriate staff of the Department comprised 176 officers and the non-expatriate 2,842 officers. The number of daily rated artisans and labourers averaged 1,375. The increase in non-expatriate staff and the decrease in daily rated artisans and labourers compared with last year was due to the transfer of a large number of daily paid staff to the monthly paid establishment.
4. The following senior officers were on long leave during part of the year:
Mr. N. K. Littlejohn, Asst. Director
(Engineering)
prior to
Mr. W. W. C. Shewan, Asst. Director (Buildings) (retirement Mr. J. H. Bottomley, Chief Building Surveyor
Mr. H. W. Forsyth
Mr. W. A. Johnson
Chief Engineers
Mr. J. E. Richardson, Assistant Superintendent of Crown Lands Mr. C. S. Barron, Assistant Superintendent of Surveys
Mr. T. O. Morgan, Assistant Waterworks Engineer Mr. G. P. Norton, Assistant Chief Architect.
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5.
The following carried out acting duties in senior posts as indicated during the absence from the Colony of the above- named officers:
6.
Mr. A. M. J. Wright, Assistant Director (Buildings)
Mr. G. P. Norton, Chief Architect
Mr. J. J. Robson
Mr. J. Alexander {
Chief Engineers
Mr. R. C. Clarke, Assistant Superintendent of Crown Lands
Mr. A. R. Giles, Assistant Superintendent of Surveys
Mr. R. Fairbairn, Chief Building Surveyor
Mr. C. I. Wilks, Assistant Waterworks Engineer
Mr. J. T. Mallorie, Assistant Chief Architect.
The following promotions or postings to senior posts
were made during the year:
Mr. H. W. Forsyth, Assistant Director (Engineering) Mr. T. O. Morgan, Assistant Waterworks Engineer
Mr. E. P. W. Morgan, Chief Engineer.
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
Chief Architect, A. M. J. Wright, A.R.I.B.A., A.R.I.C.S.
General
7. A large increase in the professional staff of Architects, Engineers and Quantity Surveyors enabled working drawings to be commenced on many large projects, such as the New Kowloon Hospital, the West Wing of the Central Government Offices and the Victoria Park Swimming Pool.
8. The annual contract based on Schedule Rates to cover the erection of new buildings estimated to cost less than $100,000, which was referred to in last year's report, proved very success- ful in permitting a large number of small new buildings to be started during the year, but it was found that this method eventually involved more staff time as all the buildings had to be measured in detail on completion of the jobs.
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9. During the year approximately $36 million was spent new works, of which $12 million was for Resettlement Housing.
on
Office Buildings
Central Government Offices.
10. This long-term project, described in previous years' reports, will eventually provide an office building from the corner of Garden Road-Lower Albert Road to the corner of Ice House Street-Queen's Road. The whole scheme will provide 370,000 square feet of floor space, of which 96,000 square feet are in the East Wing which was completed the previous year.
11. A contract was let in October for the central block, consisting of 71,000 square feet of floor space including a Legislative Council Chamber, Committee Rooms, etc., and the reinforced concrete structure was well advanced by the end of March.
12. Working drawings for the West Wing which will complete the whole scheme were well advanced by the end of the year.
Sham Shui Po District Branch Offices.
13. This building was described in detail in last year's report and consists of a Post Office on the ground floor and six storeys of general office accommodation above. Building work commenced in November and satisfactory progress was main- tained.
City Hall
14. The planning of this scheme which was referred to in last year's report, made good progress during the year and sketch plans were prepared which provided the accommodation required while keeping the cost within the amount allocated for the work.
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15. The building provides a concert hall of 1,350 seats which is to be adaptable for the performance of Chinese Opera, and a theatre seating 480. These two units are planned around the central block which contains the main entrance foyer, dance hall and banqueting hall. The multi-storey block houses the marriage registry, lecture rooms, committee and exhibition rooms, art gallery, museum and four floors devoted to library services. A feature of the scheme is the elevated promenade which encloses a court-yard which is to be planned as a garden. Work was commenced on the preliminary working drawings and investigation of site problems.
Chater Hall Flats.
Residential Buildings
16. This building which consists of fifty-nine flats and garages in an eleven-storey block was completed in October.
Leighton Hill Flats.
17. This building which consists of forty flats and garages in a ten-storey block was completed in September.
Argyle Street Flats.
18. On completion of the ninety-nine flats at Chater Hall and Leighton Hill, instructions were received to prepare a scheme for forty flats of a similar type in Kowloon on a site at the junction of Argyle Street and Waterloo Road. All the flats are the four-room type with living-dining room, three bedrooms, drying room, bathroom, toilet, kitchen, servants' quarters and drying yard. The working drawings were completed by the end of March.
Civil Aviation Department
Additional Extensions to Kai Tak Terminal Building.
19. These extensions which consist of increasing the size of the passengers' waiting rooms and lavatories and providing a covered verandah overlooking the Harbour were completed in January.
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Garage at Kai Tak.
20. Construction was completed in August of an eight-bay open car port at Kai Tak.
Accommodation for V.I.P.'s at Kai Tak.
21. Working drawings for this single storey building, consisting of a lounge, press conference room, security control room, kitchen and toilet, were nearing completion by the end of the year.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
Extension of Offices for D.A.F.F.
22. An extension consisting of six new offices was made to the existing offices at Lai Chi Kok. Work was completed in November.
Education Department
Queen Elizabeth School, Kowloon.
23. This twenty-eight classroom secondary school with laboratories, domestic science, handwork and needlework rooms, assembly hall and covered playground was completed in October.
Tsun Wan Primary School.
24. Before building work could commence on this school it was necessary to reduce the level of the site by ninety feet to suit the approved Town Planning Scheme. This work was completed in January but building work was commenced in December.
Extensions to Grantham Training College.
25. Working drawings for these extensions were completed by the end of March.
Mission Road School.
26. Approval was received to design a twenty-four class- room primary school at Mission Road, Kowloon, accommodating 1,080 pupils.
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27. Owing to the large number of schools that are required in the Urban areas and the extreme shortage of land available to accommodate them, it has been necessary to design schools on the minimum site area. This school, comprising twenty-four classrooms, art room, housecraft room, woodwork room, lavatories, changing rooms, teachers' rooms, caretaker's rooms and covered and roof playgrounds, is planned as a four-storey "U" shaped building on a total site area of 27,000 square feet. Construction commenced in February but was slightly delayed as it was not possible to commence piling as early as anticipated.
Technical College, Hung Hom, Kowloon.
was
28. The need for a new Technical College had been realized for many years but nothing could be done as no suitable site could be found. A site was finally approved on the new Hung Hom Reclamation and sketch plans were prepared.
29. The first phase of the new Technical College consists of three main units-
(1) A main four-storey classroom block.
(2) A single storey workshop block.
(3) A single storey laboratory wing.
30. These buildings have been arranged on the site with full consideration to future planning, thus allowing for the expansion of all units plus the future construction of an Assembly Hall to seat 1,000 persons which will also include a canteen, kitchen, and students' common rooms. This latter unit is intended to form the focal point of the whole scheme, being planned as part of the link between the classroom and workshop blocks,
31. The main classroom building will accommodate tem- porary administration offices, and provide permanent drawing offices, classrooms, and laboratories for the departments of Building, Mechanical
Mechanical Engineering, Textiles & Industrial Chemistry, Commerce and Industrial Art, Electrical Engineering and Navigation & Naval Architecture.
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32. The single storey workshops are similarly divided into departments and have been sited so that the noise interference will not disturb the main block, and also to allow easy access to all the workshops for delivery of heavy equipment.
33. The single storey laboratory wing has been closely related to the workshops, and will house electrical machines, equipment for testing strengths of various materials, and a laboratory for carrying out heat treatment experiments.
34. The scheme also includes various small buildings, such as caretakers' quarters, a dangerous goods store and a trans- former station.
35. The sketch plans were approved and working drawings were well advanced by the end of March.
Fire Brigade
Fire Station at Sheung Shui.
36. As a result of a large fire at Sheung Shui, the private fire station was destroyed and Government decided to erect a new building. The accommodation consists of an appliance room, watch room and stores on the ground floor and dormitory, mess room, kitchen and lavatory on the first floor. The building was completed in Fabruary.
Castle Peak Hospital.
Medical Department
37. This was referred to in last year's report as the "Mental Hospital". Working drawings for the site formation for the whole Hospital site were completed and a contract let in November.
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38. The first phase of the building programme includes a Custodial Home, providing accommodation for sixty male patients on the ground floor and sixty female on the first floor, and consists of dormitories, day rooms, dining rooms and garden compounds. When the whole hospital scheme is completed this block will be used entirely for male patients, a similar block being provided for females. It also includes one block of quarters which will provide temporary accommodation for all the staff required to administer the Custodial Home and will finally be converted to barrack accommodation for amahs. Work on this phase was commenced in February.
39. Working drawings were commenced for the remainder of the Hospital for five hundred beds. The hospital has been planned as a number of small single and two-storey blocks and the accommodation will be as follows:-
Administration Block consisting of administration offices, doctors'
rooms, waiting rooms and operating theatre.
Service Block with centralized kitchens, laboratory and rooms for general maintenance of the hospital buildings and equipment on the ground floor, and physiotherapy and occupational-therapy rooms on the first floor.
Concert Hall accommodating three hundred people with small stage
and chapel.
Mortuary with cooling chamber, viewing room and post-mortem room. Admission Block consisting of a 22-bed dormitory and five single bed
wards and a 12-bed insulin ward.
Sick Block with 8-bed ward, five single bed wards and two single bed
wards for staff.
Convalescent Block with five 6-bed wards, one 3-bed ward and one
2-bed ward.
Private Patients Block with one 10-bed ward and eight single bed
wards.
40. On each side of these central buildings are planned the units for male and female patients, each of which consists of:-
Custodial Home as previously described;
Ward Block with admission ward, sick ward, private ward and con-
valescent ward;
Refractory Ward Block with general ward and single bed wards.
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41. Owing to the distance of this Hospital from the City, it has been necessary to provide quarters for most of the staff. Plans for these have been prepared on the following basis:-
Detached house for the Medical Superintendent.
6 semi-detached houses for Medical Officers.
1 block of 8 flats for senior Nursing staff.
16 flats for male Mental Nurses.
32 flats for junior Technical staff.
67 married quarters for Menial staff.
42. In addition, quarters are provided for the Matron, Deputy Matron, Almoner, eight Nursing Sisters, 14 single male Nurses and 94 female Nurses, and barrack accommodation for 64 male and 96 female menial staff.
Kowloon General Hospital.
43. This scheme was referred to in last year's report. Revised sketch plans were prepared by Messrs. Easton & Robertson, Chartered Architects, and the basic scheme was approved in November subject to minor amendments. Pre- liminary detailed plans of the various departments were being prepared by the Architectural Office for approval of the Medical Department. Sketch plans were also being prepared for the Sisters' & Nurses' Quarters and Nurses' Training School.
Extensions to Maurine Grantham Health Centre, Tsun Wan.
44. These extensions were completed in December and provide the following additional accommodation:-
(a) Maternity clinic on the ground floor with waiting hall, interviewing room, weighing room and consulting room
(b) additional ward accommodation on the first floor
(c) an additional nurses' bedroom and a nurses' enlarged
sitting room on the second floor,
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Queen Mary Hospital-Housemen's Quarters & Casualty Clearing
Station.
45. This building forms an annexe to the main Hospital building and consists of a casualty clearing station on the ground floor, housemen's dining and recreation rooms on the first floor and three floors of quarters over, providing accommodation for twenty-seven Housemen. Building work was completed in December.
Schools Medical Clinic, Sai Yee Street.
46. Building work on this scheme was completed in July.
Maternal & Child Health Centre, Homantin.
47. Building work on this scheme commenced in January.
Sai Kung Clinic.
48. Building work on this scheme was completed in January.
Government Chemical Laboratory.
49. The conversion of spare first floor accommodation at the Government Stores, North Point, into a laboratory for the Government Chemist was completed in January.
Shek Kip Mei Polyclinic.
50. After the Shek Kip Mei fire in December, 1953 contributions were received from the public for the relief of fire victims. Since Government decided to bear the cost of this relief, it was decided that the funds should be used to provide a clinic in the area. Sketch plans were prepared for a general and maternity clinic, and it was later decided to provide also a chest clinic and X-ray department. Sketch plans for this were also prepared.
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New Territories Administration.
Shek Wu Hui Market.
51. This building was completed in May.
San Hui Market.
52. This market, covering an area of about 3,737 square feet, consists of a single-storey building with reinforced concrete columns, steel roof trusses and asbestos roofing. A total of forty stalls are to be provided. The site forms part of an existing pond and filling of the area was completed in February. Working drawings were nearing completion by the end of March.
Latrine at Cheung Chau.
53. Working drawings for this latrine, consisting of twenty- three seats and caretaker's quarters, were completed but work was unable to commence as the site had not been finally approved.
Police Department
Western Police Station and Quarters.
54. This scheme was described in last year's report, and the first stage, consisting of a police station with barrack accom- modation for rank and file and quarters for single inspectors above, was completed in June.
55. Construction of the second stage, consisting of a nine- storey block of rank and file quarters providing 112 quarters, was commenced in January and satisfactory progress was maintained.
56. Working drawings for the third stage-an eight-storey block of sixteen flats for married inspectorate staff-were nearing completion.
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Extensions to Eastern Police Station.
57. This scheme was referred to in detail in last year's report. The contract was let in September and progress was satisfactory.
Extensions to Yaumati Police Station.
58. These extensions were mentioned in last year's report, and were completed in February.
59. Working drawings were commenced for alterations to the existing station which include replanning the existing police station, modernizing the inspectorate married quarters above, and constructing an additional storey to part of the building to provide an additional married inspectorate quarter.
New Territories Depot, Fanling.
60. As a first stage in the development of the New Territories Depot and Headquarters at Fanling, plans were prepared for the construction of rank and file married quarters and Pakistani barrack accommodation. The scheme consists of two 5-storey blocks of rank and file married quarters, providing 200 flats and barrack accommodation for 200 Pakistanis in- cluding mess and recreation rooms. Construction commenced
in February.
Extensions to Police Training School, Aberdeen.
61. This scheme was completed in June.
Rifle Range at King's Park.
62. This work which consisted of the construction of a shelter and target track was completed in October.
Garage & Workshop, Police Headquarters, Kowloon.
63. Work was completed in November on the construction of these workshops, garages and oil store in the existing compound.
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Lok Ma Chan Police Station Canteen.
64. A new single-storey building was constructed within the existing station compound, consisting of a canteen and additional barrack accommodation. Work was completed in February.
Rank and File Quarters, Arsenal Yard.
65. As a second stage in the development of the Arsenal Yard site on which was built the New Police Headquarters referred to in last year's report, an eleven-storey building, con- sisting of a school on the ground floor and rank and file married quarters above, is to be constructed on the Queen's Road frontage. The school will consist of twelve classrooms, hand- work room, domestic science room and teachers' rooms, and there will be 300 quarters above, each consisting of a large living bedroom, verandah and kitchen with communal lavatory facilities. The flats will have external verandah approach and will be served by a lift. Working drawings were nearing completion.
Prisons Department
Stanley Prison-Assembly and Dining Hall.
66. This building was completed in June.
Quarters for Stanley Training Centre.
67. No work was carried out on this scheme, which was referred to in last year's report, as no funds were provided in the annual estimates.
Public Works Department
New Electrical and Mechanical Workshops.
68. This scheme, which is a redevelopment of the existing workshops and offices at Caroline Hill, was referred to in last year's report. The first stage the construction of the mechani- cal workshops, providing a covered floor area of 52,800 square feet-was completed in December.
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69. As no funds were provided for the second and final stage the electrical workshops and offices-no progress was made beyond the preparation of sketch plans.
Cadastral Survey of New Territories.
70. This was described in last year's report, and the first camp for survey parties, consisting of living accommodation for assistant surveyors and survey coolies, drawing office, office for surveyor-in-charge, a store and two garages, was completed at Tsun Wan in July. A similar camp was completed at Shatin in October. Flans for another camp on part of the site of the Castle Peak Hospital were completed by the end of the year.
P.W.D. Offices, Kowloon.
71. As a result of recent expansion of the Public Works Department, the accommodation planned in the New Government Offices was inadequate. It was, therefore, decided to build branch offices in Kowloon for those sub-departments which administer work in Kowloon and the New Territories. A site was chosen at the corner of Ma Tau Wei Road and Farm Road.
72. The first stage of the scheme consists of a five-storey administration block to accommodate the Roads Office, Drainage Office, Buildings Ordinance Office, Crown Lands & Surveys Office, with Roads Office covered parking area and stores planned on the lower ground floor level. This building is designed to take an additional three floors at a later date, if required. Depots are also included with open yards and single-storey workshop blocks for the Drainage and Roads Offices. Tenders were called for the site formation work and the working drawings were nearing completion.
73. The second stage of the development will include the erection of electrical and mechanical workshops, similar to those recently constructed at Caroline Hill, with a three-storey stores block and a vehicle yard adjoining.
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Resettlement Department
Li Cheng Uk, Block 'A'.
74. This was referred to in last year's report as "Tonkin This seven-storey block of flats,
Street Resettlement Flats".
consisting of 840 rooms, was completed in March.
Li Cheng Uk, Phase I.
75. A large site at Li Cheng Uk was reserved for the construction of further blocks of resettlement flats. In order to facilitate movement of the squatters on the site, it was necessary to carry out the development in phases. Site forma- tion for the first phase, consisting of seven blocks, was commenced in May and completed in January.
76. During site formation an ancient tomb was discovered which it was decided to retain; this necessitated omitting two of the blocks from the contract. Building work on the five remaining blocks, consisting of 2,824 rooms, was commenced in August and completed in February.
Li Cheng Uk, Phase II.
77. Site formation for the second phase, consisting of five blocks with a total of 3,010 rooms, was commenced in July but completion of the work was delayed owing to the presence of large quantities of rock. Building work commenced in February and very good progress was made.
Li Cheng Uk, Phase III.
78. Sketch plans for the third phase, providing a further 1,386 rooms, were prepared in January and approved in February.
Tai Hang Tung Resettlement Flats.
79. An additional site was obtained adjoining the Tai Hang Tung Resettlement Flats referred to in last year's report. This site, called "Area 'G' ", was planned for an additional six blocks
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of seven-storey flats with a total of 1,792 rooms.
Site formation was commenced in May and completed in August. Piling commenced in September and was completed by November. Building work commenced in September and by the end of the year four of the six blocks had been completed.
Shek Kip Mei Re-development.
80. It was decided to replace the temporary two-storey buildings, erected as an emergency measure after the squatter fire, with multi-storey flats in order to achieve the maximum density on the available site. In order to do this, it was necessary to plan the work in such a manner that the present occupants could be re-housed as construction of the multi-storey buildings proceeded. The first stage of the re-development was planned on an area not occupied by two-storey buildings and consisted of three blocks with a total of 1,334 rooms. Site formation commenced in August and was completed in February. Construction of the buildings commenced in December.
81. Sketch plans were prepared in February for stage II of the re-development on part of the site of the two-storey buildings and consist of six blocks with a total of 2,548 rooms.
Tai Wan Hill Resettlement Flats.
82. A scheme was prepared for four blocks of flats on this site. Owing to the extensive site formation work required to form the sites, which was being carried out by the Port Works Office, it was decided to let the building contract in two stages-- each consisting of two blocks of flats. Site formation com- menced in June but no sites were available by the end of the year. The building contract for stage I was approved but the contract had not been signed.
Lo Fu Ngam Resettlement Flats.
83. This site was the area of two squatter fires which occurred in November and which was then reserved for develop- ment in multi-storey resettlement flats. A survey of the site was prepared in December and sketch plans were submitted for
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approval in February. Owing to site restrictions caused by the construction of the new Airport, approval of the scheme had to be delayed.
Royal Hong Kong Defence Force Magazine and Drill Shed, Force Headquarters. 84. This work was completed in August.
Signal Stores, Force Headquarters.
85. This work was completed in September.
Royal Observatory
Extensions to Royal Observatory.
86. An additional floor was constructed over the existing out-buildings to the rear of the Observatory, providing barrack accommodation for junior staff with staff rest room and recreation room. The ground floor was converted to provide general stores and chart store. Work was completed in December.
Remand Home.
Social Welfare Office
87. This small single storey building for juvenile delin- quents requiring short-term detention was planned for sixty children and work was completed in May.
Urban Services Department
Kansu Street Market.
88. This scheme was referred to in last year's report as "Yaumati Market" when it was planned to have a market on the ground and first floors and low-cost flats for the Housing Authority above. It was decided to omit the low-cost flats from the scheme and revised plans were prepared for a market on two floors with 122 stalls and departmental quarters above. Working drawings were nearing completion by the end of the
year.
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Latrines and Bath-houses.
89. The three new latrines referred to in last year's report were completed on the following dates:-
Latrine and Bath-house, Aberdeen-September.
Latrine and Bath-house, Kowloon City--June.
Latrine, Connaught Road West--August.
90. Three new latrines and bath-houses were commenced as detailed below:
To Kwa Wan Latrine. A three-storey building with 29 male seats. 16 female seats, 19 male showers, 14 female showers and caretaker's quarters. Work commenced in October.
Extensions to Carpenter Road Latrine, A new bath-house was constructed as an extension to the existing latrine, providing 15 male showers and 11 female showers. This extension was completed in February.
Wa Hing Lane Latrine and Bath-house, A three-storey building with 21 male seats, 12 female seats, 15 male showers, 10 femal showers and caretaker's quarters. Work commenced in November.
Kowloon City Ferry Pier Latrine.
91. Sketch plans were prepared for a small single storey latrine in the concourse area of the new Ma Tau Kok Ferry Pier.
Sung Wong Toi Garden.
92. In order to allow the construction of the runway of Kai Tak Airport, it became necessary to remove this Sacred Stone. It was decided to remove the Stone to another site and to design a garden as a setting for it. Work was commenced on the garden in December but construction was held up pending transport of the Stone to its new site.
Changing Pavilion, Happy Valley.
93. This work was completed in June.
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Bone Cremator, Wo Hop Shek Cemetery.
94. This work was completed in June.
Victoria Park.
95. Working drawings for the children's shelters, changing rooms, lavatories and staff quarters were nearing completion by the end of the year.
96. The statue of Queen Victoria which was removed from Statue Square during the Japanese occupation was re-erected on a new granite plinth in the Park. Work was completed in August.
97. Sketch plans were prepared and approved for a new swimming pool which is to be sited at the east end of the Park, with access from the Park or from Hing Fat Street. There will be three pools enclosed within the boundary walls-one large pool for adults, a smaller children's pool and a paddling pool. The main pool will be constructed to meet Olympic requirements and will be suitable for large scale competitions. To the west of the main pool will be a grandstand with accommodation for 2,000 spectators with a large restaurant adjoining. Below the stands and the restaurant will be the main entrance and changing rooms. Working drawings were well advanced by the end of : the year.
A
Fountain at Causeway Bay.
98. Construction commenced in December on a fountain sited in the island of the new traffic roundabout at Causeway Bay.
Tomb at Li Cheng Uk.
99. When the ancient tomb was uncovered during the site formation for the resettlement flats at Li Cheng Uk, it was decided to preserve the tomb and construct a small exhibition room and garden in the area. Sketch plans for the exhibition room and garden were prepared and submitted for approval.
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Miscellaneous
Hong Kong Stadium Pavilion.
100. This was referred to in last year's report as the "Sookunpoo Stadium Pavilion" and forms a small part of the overall development of the Stadium which was being constructed by the Port Works Office. Work on the Pavilion was completed in May.
Maintenance of Government Buildings.
101. During the year routine maintenance work was carried out on 192 buildings, including Central Market and Sisters' Quarters at Queen Mary Hospital-in both of which cases re-wiring was included. The total amount spent was ap- proximately $3,700,000.
Alterations, Additions & Improvements.
102. Some 164 works were carried out, the major items being the provision of flush latrines at Tung Tau Wan Training Centre, installation of lighting in 25 public latrines, improve- ments to the Police Wireless Workshops, alterations to Shaukiwan Public Dispensary and protective works at the new Peak School. The total expenditure was approximately $500,000.
103. White ant inspections were carried out on 183 buildings; an increase over the previous year of 53 buildings.
104. The running contract for supplying and maintaining venetian blinds was renewed and a new running contract was let for supplying and maintaining asphalt tile flooring.
105. Numerous other works were carried out on Defence votes and other funds.
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BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
Chief Building Surveyor, J. H. Bottomley, E.D., M.I.Struct.E.
106. The tremendous amount of private building work in connexion with development and redevelopment which has been so much a part of the Colony's activities since the reoccupation of the Colony continued unabated during the year. As in previous years, however, the tendency to replace old, relatively low, buildings by modern multi-storey buildings has become more and more pronounced, and such rebuilding continued to form an increasing proportion of the total volume of building work. Despite this, however, the amount of completely new development was still very high, and there was no indication of any diminution in this respect.
107. It is estimated that a sum of $168,000,000.00 was expended by private developers in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Kowloon on the erection of new buildings during the year.
108. The type of buildings constructed, or for which plans were approved can be divided into two categories-domestic and non-domestic. The former included European type houses and flats predominantly flats-and Chinese tenements, and formed by far the greater part of all building works. The latter included buildings of every description to cater for the multi- tudinous activities of the Colony-e.g. schools, factories, work- shops, offices, cinemas and churches.
109. Apart from work connected with new buildings and alterations to existing buildings, other activities of the office included the issue of legal notices in respect of dangerous buildings and nuisances (illegal structures, drainage defects and similar contravention of the Buildings Ordinance), drain testing, inspections of licensed premises on behalf of other departments and preparation of plans for use in Police prosecutions.
110. 1,388 new buildings were completed during the year of which 1,158 were for domestic use.
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111. Details showing actual work done are as follows:-
In all 5,212 approvals were issued for plans in respect of 8,909 buildings of which details are set out below:-
204 plans for 445 European type houses
313
4
1
3
"
"1
19
"
"
多多
957 Chinese type houses
4 Quarters
1 Hostel
10 Blocks of buildings for Housing Scheme
50 Apartment buildings
81 Workshops and factories
46 Godowns and stores
4 Churches
16 Temporary Buildings
42
74
41
4
""
>
15
"
"
15
15 Schools
*
11
1
1 Theatre
重要
""
3
"
3 Garages
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2
5
10 2
"
1
11
82
7
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58
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1
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8
2
*
1
1
1
1
2
*
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24 Office Buildings
2 Hospitals
5 Bathing Pavilions
2 Clinics
1 Temple
12 Minor non-domestic buildings 90 Site formations
1 C. A. S. Training Centre
1 A. F. S. Training Centre
8 Service Stations
2 Restaurants
1 Sub-station
1 Monument
1 Bus Terminus
1 Film Studio
2 Dormitories
75 Buildings for repairs
921 Buildings for alterations & additions
607 Buildings for demolition
2502 Buildings-amended plans
1619 Buildings to instal W.Cs., drainage and
water tanks etc.
1398 Buildings to carry out R. C. C., and piling
works.
22
60
29
*
748
321
1627
884
699
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112. Occupation Certificates were issued for 472 European type, 686 Chinese type and 230 non-domestic buildings.
113. Legal Notices issued comprised 256 for dangerous buildings, 22 in respect of emergency shorings, 76 in respect of 86 drainage nuisances and 917 for removal of illegal structures.
114. 729 drain tests were carried out in various districts.
115. In addition to the inspection of works for which plans were approved, 611 inspections of licensed premises were made on behalf of other departments. 67 building collapses and landslides and 18 fires received necessary attention.
116. The new Buildings Ordinance and Building Regulations, referred to in last year's report, were enacted but had not come into force by the end of the year. It has been decided, however, that they should come into force on the 1st June, 1956.
CROWN LANDS AND SURVEYS OFFICE
Superintendent of Crown Lands & Surveys, M. I. De Ville, F.R.I.C.S.
Assistant Superintendent, Crown Lands, J. E. Richardson, F.R.I.C.S.
Assistant Superintendent, Surveys, C. S. Barron, M.B.E., A.R.I.C.S.
Crown Lands
117. Revenue. The total amount of revenue billed including $1,406,132.55 collected by the District Commissioner, New Territories, as compared with the previous year was as under:
Premia on land sales etc.
Boundary Stones & Survey Fees Permit Fees
Plans sold to the public
1955/56
$13,653,840.52
1954/55
$11,932,601.50
15,197.84
13,888.71
3,379,368.20
3,126,052.65
6,285.00
2,977.00
$15,333,452.54
$16,796,758.88
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118. A detailed comparison of premia derived from land sales, extensions and coversions with the figures for the previous year is as under:
(1) Sales by Auction
Island
Kowloon
New Kowloon
New Territories
1955/56
1954/55
$ 1,479,150.00
668,844.00
1,735,200.00
3,017,000.00
2,444,000.00
1,306,750.00
498,079.00
577,981.00
(2) Sales without Auction
Island
528,602.00
1,074,548.00
Kowloon
182,840.00
939,509.50
New Kowloon
667,210.00
124,518.00
New Territories
20,119.90
(3) Extensions Granted
Island
1,186,701.67
2,775,659.46
Kowloon
636,849.99
292,787.69
New Kowloon
768,995.55
989,130.61
New Territories
1,883.00
(4) Conversion & Exchanges
Island
256,832.00
28,088.00
Kowloon
21,364.18
32,345.31
New Kowloon
32,234.40
97,902.60
New Territories
233,469.60
636,169.55
(5) Extension of Terms of Leases
Island
Kowloon
New Kowloon
New Territories
(6) Grant on Short Leases
New Territories
267,904.05
10,235.44
924,818.32
1,082,371.36
46,347.84
$11,932,601.50
$13,653,840.52
119. Eleven free grants were made to charitable institutions and schools during the year, seven on the Island and four on the Mainland.
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120. Permits issued for the occupation of Crown Land excluding the New Territories but including New Kowloon, for short periods were of a miscellaneous character; some details are as follows:
(a) 742 new permits were issued, 659 permits were cancelled and 508 permits were amended for various reasons. The total number of permits in force at the end of the financial year was 6,221 and fees collected amounted to $2,848,504.74.
(b) 4 temporary pier permits were issued and 46 were renewed and total rent amounting to $83,396.91 was collected during the year.
(c) 2 encroachment permits were issued to the Services at
a nominal fee of $1.00 each.
121. In the New Territories, excluding New Kowloon, the permit fees collected amounted to $191,982.00.
Drawing Office
122. The number of plans prepared was 21 sets for sales, 211 sets for leases and 79 sets for surrenders. 25 miscellaneous tracings and 14,852 sunprints were produced, including 6,166 for Government Offices and 207 for the public. 2 new tracings of Kowloon and 24 of Hong Kong, 200 feet to an inch, were made.
123. The "Copycat" printing outfit produced 2,040 prints and an additional 1,049 by Cyclostyle. The "Photostat" reproduction outfit produced 1,278 prints from 567 negatives.
124. 199 survey sheets, 50 feet to 1 inch, were enlarged or reduced photographically and 56 sheets, 200 feet to 1 inch, were produced for the use of the Survey and Town Planning Sections. For other sub-departments 266 D/D sheets were photographical- ly copied.
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125. Progress Report photographs were taken for the whole department and numbered 1,126 negatives from which 3,637 contact prints and enlargements were made.
126. Drawings were also made for the coloured maps in the Colony Annual Report.
Survey
127. 15 new minor triangulation stations were established and heights above Hong Kong Principal Datum were obtained for 11 major triangulation stations not previously heighted. 3 station pillars were repaired and one station was re-established.
128. 52 miles of control traverse was run to establish over 800 permanent survey marks.
129. A start was made on the replacing of Bench Marks destroyed or removed since the original levelling was done over 20 years ago, and 16 miles of Precise Levelling, providing 27 new Bench Marks, were completed on the Island circuit.
130. The annual computation of mean sea level was recorded as 3.82 feet above Hong Kong Principal Datum.
131. Revenue surveys were made for lease plans for 77 lots and for surrender plans for 23 lots. 173 lots covering an area of 93 acres were set out and boundary stones were placed to demarcate 73 lots.
132. The large scale revision of the urban areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon was continued but at a reduced rate because of the need to meet demands for survey work in other fields. Over 1,100 acres were surveyed during the year and a total of 21 survey sheets at 1/600 were made available.
133. Contour surveys covering a total area of 1,000 acres were made at various scales for planning purposes.
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134. The following miscellaneous work was carried out:-
(a) For road widening and rebuilding schemes 6 miles of
road alignment were set out.
(b) 1,890 feet of building line for 30 lots were set out.
(c) Surveys covering about 200 acres were made for 30 Police cases. To give evidence in connexion with such surveys, surveyors attended court on 35 occasions.
135. For the New Territories Cadastral Survey, one survey camp at Tsun Wan was opened in May and a second camp at Sha Tin was opened in November. The following work was carried out:-
(a) 52 new minor triangulation stations were established
and 7 old stations were revalued.
(b) 5 triangulation pillars were repaired.
(c) 17 miles of control traverse were run to provide 262
permanent survey marks.
(d) 1,840 acres of the large scale detail survey, 100 feet to 1 inch, were completed and 7 of the basic survey sheets were made available.
Valuation & Resumption
136. Valuations were made for the following purposes:- (a) Resumptions under the Crown Lands Resumptions
Ordinance (Cap. 124),
(b) Surrenders for street and other improvements,
(c) Renewal of Crown Leases,
(d) Sale and Purchase of land and buildings by Govern-
ment,
(e) Town Planning,
(f) Extensions to existing lots, and
(g) Removal of Restrictive Covenants, etc.
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137. In addition all hereditaments falling to be assessed for Estate Duty purposes were valued, and assistance in valuation matters was given to other Government departments.
138. Work continued in the negotiation of surrenders for such purposes as road improvements, implementation of planning layouts, etc. The case for the Crown was presented before two Arbitration Boards formed to determine compensation payable under the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance and preparatory work was done for Boards which may later be convened for other resumptions gazetted during the year.
Planning
139. The preparation of outline development plans proceeded during the year. Planning of two additional districts was started, layouts now being available for 20 out of the 32 plan- ning districts. More detailed planning was carried out than in previous years.
140. The outline development plans of North Point and Yaumati districts were prepared for the Town Planning Board and exhibited to the public. Plans of Kun Tong district were prepared for an interdepartmental Committee set up to consider the use of the reclamation for industrial sites.
DRAINAGE OFFICE
Chief Engineer, R. A. Mirams, A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.W.E.
General
141. Apart from unusually heavy rainfall during April the rainfall during the year was below average and rainstorm and typhoon damage was on a small scale.
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142. The rate of building development showed no diminution and drainage extensions totalled nearly 10 miles of foul sewers and storm-water drains. Approximately two thirds of these extensions served private estate developments and were carried out at the cost of the developers.
143. During the year this office carried out minor works in Government air raid tunnels and was responsible for their maintenance.
Sewerage
144. Owing to the shortage of rain during the winter, nullah supplies of flushing water were unusually low and gave anxiety in some instances. This shortage, together with the restricted hours of mains water supply, resulted in insufficient flow in many of the sewers and a large number of chokes and other minor nuisances occurred. The sewer gangs cleared nearly 9,000 chokages during the year, representing an increase of about 1,000 over the last year and 1,500 over the previous year.
145. Work continued during the year on the construction of the Yaumati Drainage Scheme and most of the ancillary relaying works were completed except for the final connexions to the main interceptors. The 66 inch diameter concrete outfall sewer was laid from a point inside the Cosmopolitan Docks extending for 1,200 feet west-wards along the sea-bed. One pumping station, at Nanchang Street, was completed, and the second station, at Mongkok Road, was constructed to ground level and work was in hand at the end of the year on the foundations of the screening plant building. None of the plant ordered from England had arrived by the end of the year.
146. The relief sewer in the Wongneichong Valley which was commenced last year was completed.
147. Design work on the sewerage scheme for the Wanchai area was carried to an advanced stage and a contract was entered into for the delivery of the reinforced concrete pipes for the main interceptor along Gloucester Road.
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148. The Imhoff tank at Repulse Bay was completed and at the end of the year was working in a very satisfactory manner.
Anti-malarial Works
149. Only repairs and minor extensions to existing anti- malarial channels were carried out during the year except for a major repair of Ede Road necessitated by a landslide.
Surface Water Drainage
150. The removal of sand and silt from nullahs and catchpits was carried out as normal maintenance and all clean sand considered suitable for building purposes was taken by the Sand Monopoly for sale.
151. The nullah in Island Road, where it passes through Aberdeen, was culverted for a length of 650 feet for the dual purpose of doing away with the bad smells arising from the open nullah and of providing greater width for the main road.
152. The nullah running through the Tai Hang Tung Resettlement area was decked over and two box culverts were constructed across the reclaimed area at Hunghom. An additional box culvert at Tsun Wan was in hand at the end of the year with a view to avoiding further damage similar to that caused by the heavy rains during April.
153. The Albany nullah was culverted from Bowen Road downwards for a length of 260 feet in preparation for improve- ments to Garden Road.
Typhoon and Rain-storm Damage
154. Only minor damage was caused by rainstorms during the year and expenditure was incurred mainly as a result of many small landslides which caused silting in nullahs.
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Private Works
155. The number of drainage plans submitted for examina- tion in connexion with proposed private works during the year was again higher than last year and a total of 672 plans was dealt with. The number of requests for drainage reports on applications for the lease of land for private development showed an even more marked increase and 530 such reports were made during the year. Consultations on drainage questions and on the disposal of trade effluent were also given to private Architects, property owners and other Government offices.
156. The number of works carried out on private account continued at a high level and 1,021 new connexions were made. Foul sewers, storm-water drains, house connexions and road gullies were provided for housing estates. Sewers and storm- water drains required for the new residential areas at Jardine's Lookout and Lee Garden Estates were completed.
ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE
Chief Electrical & Mechanical Engineer, J. C. Brown, B.Sc. (Edin.), M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech.E.
General
157. The maintenance and repair of all Government electrical and mechanical equipment (exclusive of marine equip- ment) including motor vehicles, road rollers, mobile cranes, bulldozers, boiler installations, air-conditioning plant, lifts, print- ing machinery, electric motors and control gear, automatic traffic control lights, refrigerators and other domestic appliances etc. were continued throughout the year. In addition many items of new plant were installed.
158. Construction of the new Mechanical Workshops build- ing at Caroline Hill was completed and all remaining old workshop buildings were demolished. The design and layout of the new building has been found very satisfactory in practice and all work is now carried out under first class conditions.
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159. The temporary structure (timber and asbestos sheeting) formerly housing the blacksmiths and welders at Caroline Hill was transferred to the Kowloon Depot for a similar purpose there.
Mechanical Section
160. At the end of the year the total number of Government vehicles in service was 856 against an authorized establishment of 910. The vehicles in service comprised 131 cars, 177 light utility vans, 393 heavy load carrying and special purpose vehicles and 155 motor cycles. 150 new vehicles were received and put into service and 165 old vehicles were taken out of service and disposed of on the recommendation of Boards of Survey.
161. Considerable progress was made with the replacement of the old ex-Army lorries by the putting into service of 67 new 3-ton lorries and the ordering of a further 59 new chassis for fitting with locally constructed bodies. The replacement pro- gramme for this class of vehicle was 50% completed.
162. The local construction of specially designed all-metal motor vehicle bodies during the year included four Heavy Cemetery Vans and two Insulated Meat Delivery Vans for the Urban Services Department, two Command Cars and 23 Light General Purpose Vans for the Police and six Station Wagons and two 15 cwt. Pickup Vans for general Government service. In addition, a total of 150 Refuse Hand Carts were manufactured for the Urban Services Department.
163. Two new 11-ton diesel engined road rollers were received, assembled and put into service to replace the remaining two old ex-Army rollers which had reached the end of their useful and economical life and for which spare parts were no longer available. The fleet of Government road rollers now totals 26, all of which are modern post-war design diesel engined machines in most cases fitted with fluid drive transmission and power assisted steering.
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164. New emergency 6 K.W. diesel engined generating sets were installed at Western, Kowloon City and Tai-O Police Stations, Police Headquarters, Hong Kong and several hospitals.
165. Steam flow recording equipment was installed in the boiler rooms at Queen Mary Hospital and Stanley Prison and all steam equipment and pressure vessels in Government buildings were maintained and overhauled where necessary and sub- sequently tested by a qualified Boiler Surveyor.
166. The number of jobs completed during the year by the Mechanical Workshops totalled 31,720.
167. The Transport Pool continued to operate smoothly and the 152 vehicles carried out over 50,000 details during the year.
168. 65 applicants for posts as motor drivers were tested and 54 who passed the test were engaged.
169. Government vehicles were involved in 650 accidents during the year.
5.
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Electrical Section
170. The number of items of electrical plant and appliances in use at the end of the year reached a total of 18,705-an overall increase of about 20% over the previous year. The periodical : maintenance programme for servicing and maintaining in good running order the 842 motors (totalling 4,577 H.P.), 7,087 fans, 4,480 heaters and radiators, 980 cookers and hot-plates, 1,572 water heaters and boilers, 1,206 domestic type refrigerators, 137 air-conditioning and refrigerating plants, 20 dehumidifiers and 2,381 miscellaneous items including such diverse equipment as electrical clocks, cine projectors and dental apparatus was carried out satisfactorily.
171. Lift installations completed under contract were: 1 at Queen Mary Hospital, 1 at Queen Mary Hospital New Sisters' Quarters, 2 at New Tsan Yuk Hospital, 1 at New
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Western Police Station, 2 at Leighton Hill Flats and 2 at Chater Hall Flats. These nine new lifts bring the total number of lifts in operation in the various Government Buildings to 52 of which 20 are directly maintained and serviced by this Section.
172. A total of 263 new wiring installations and major repairs involving 7,409 lighting points and 2,902 power points were carried out at various locations including exhaust fans in tunnels, new E. & M. Workshops, tramway island shelters, flood- lighting at Southorn Playground, installation of main switch- boards at Sookunpoo Stadium, Government House and Queen Mary Hospital, emergency generators in hospitals, water level alarm at Garden Road Pumping Station, operating theatre lamps at Queen Mary and Kowloon Hospitals, Taipo Road and Sai Wan Filters, Lockhart Road Market and perimeter lighting at Police Stations. In addition 2,853 maintenance visits were made, 7,177 faults repaired, 842 installations tested and 1,644 minor repairs carried out on wiring installations.
173. The electrical workshop was fully employed during the year. 17,132 maintenance visits were made, 4,269 faults repaired, 4,830 minor repairs made and 2,118 major jobs carried out on domestic appliances and other electrical plant.
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Section
174. Plant and equipment in Government use continued to increase in numbers involving an addition of 22% over last year. The annual maintenance programme for servicing and keeping in good running order the 35 Air Conditioning Plants totalling 830 tons of refrigeration, 93 Room Air Coolers, 1,206 cabinet refrigerators, 7 mortuaries and cold stores, 8 film processing units, 42 ventilating and extraction plans and other miscellaneous items including a blood plasma manufacturing unit and a deep freeze cabinet for vaccines was carried out satisfactorily.
175. Installations carried out under contract were a 5 Ton air conditioning plant in the Stamp Duty Office, and Room Coolers in the Chief Justice's Residence (4), offices of the
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Registrar Supreme Court (2), Chief Officer Fire Brigade, Director Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Central Magistracy, Royal Observatory Dark Room and Medical Examination Board Dark Room in the R.N.V.R. H.Q. Building (2). The central air conditioning plant in the Chief Justice's Residence was redesign- ed and modified and the refrigerating plant at Queen Mary Hospital Mortuary was replaced.
176. 10,148 maintenance visits were made, 109 faults repaired, 8 minor repairs made and 67 major jobs carried out. Two plants of 320 Tons and 240 Tons respectively were under continuous operation and maintenance, half of the latter plant working 24 hours per day for 7 days each week.
PORT WORKS OFFICE
Chief Engineer (Acting), J. Alexander, B.Sc. (Eng.), A.M.I.C.E.
Maintenance
177. The maintenance and repair of the Colony's public piers, seawalls and other marine structures were carried out, as in previous years, under an annual contract. The major part of this work consisted of repairs to fenders, decking, walings, landing steps, handrails, etc. of timber, steel and reinforced concrete structures.
178. Typhoon and rainstorm damage was, again, of a minor nature and was confined mainly to damage done to Tai O and Silvermine Bay piers, and to the clearing of a considerable quantity of sand from Causeway Bay culvert outfall.
179. The department's two dredging units, each consisting of a tug, a Priestman grab dredger, and three hoppers were used extensively in the removal of silt and sand from alongside seawalls and from stormwater outfalls where the heavy rains had
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brought down from the hills much loose material. The dredgers were also used to form foundations for the Yaumati Drainage Scheme outfall pipe, in site preparation for the new Stewart Road Ferry Pier and for depositing material to raise the seabed level at the site of the new Kowloon Star Ferry pier. A total of 190,000 cubic yards of material was dredged during the year.
180. Port Works divers spent a total of nearly 600 hours underwater throughout the year. Diving inspections were carried out on new sea walls at Central, Sung Wong Toi Road and Kun Tong Reclamation and on the New Star Ferry piers, Kowloon City Ferry pier and Stewart Road pier. In addition. an underwater survey of the seabed at Cheung Chau was carried out for the Waterworks Office, the laying of the Yaumati sewer outfall was supervised, the cross harbour watermain was in- spected and the demolition of the old Lyemun Beacon and the construction of a new one was undertaken.
181. The divers also assisted in the salvage of a Police Launch which went aground, and also with the salvage of a Marine launch which was sunk in a collision.
182. Public Dumping in reclamations at Cheung Sha Wan, Sung Wong Toi Road, Hung Hom and Central produced 546,000 cubic yards of filling during the year.
New Construction
183. New Star Ferry Piers-General. The new Star Ferry piers contract was let on the 1st October and work commenced on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon sites simultaneously. The work is being carried out in two distinct stages so that when two of the four berths on either side of the harbour have been completed the ferry service can be transferred to them. The existing piers will then be demolished and the remainder of the two terminals completed. It is expected that the first stage will be ready by April 1957 and the whole project finished a year later.
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184. Hong Kong Star Ferry Pier. By the end of the year 107 out of 159 piles required for the first stage were driven and the whole of the central portion decked over. A start was also made on the columns and stairs to the first floor.
185. Kowloon Star Ferry Pier. The first job carried out was the demolition of the greater part of the disused Kowloon old Public pier. This was necessary to make room for the first stage of the new ferry pier. This new pier is being built on piles and pedestals, the latter being necessary where the founda- tions of the seawall prevent the driving of piles. For the first stage 73 piles out of the 132 required were driven and all the pedestals placed. In addition about one-fifth of the deck area was concreted.
186. Kun Tong Reclamation. Work continued throughout the year in the reclaiming of some 78 acres at Kun Tong Bay for industrial development. The dumping of 300,000 cubic yards of earth under the pilot contract was completed in the middle of December, and from the information gained during the earlier stages of this contract, it was possible to let the main contract for a further 1,500,000 cubic yards of filling. This main contract was started in July and by the end of the year 667,000 cubic yards of fill material had been dumped. To protect the seaward edge of the reclamation 1,200 feet of sea wall was constructed, work on this being completed by the end of November.
187. Filling for this reclamation is being obtained by cutting down adjacent foothills which consist mainly of decomposed granite. Resulting from this excavation sites for factory workers' housing will be formed.
188. Rubble Mound at Gin Drinker's Bay. Construction of the rubble mound linking Tsing Chau Island and the Mainland to form a new site for the Colony Refuse Dump was completed during the year, and dumping of refuse commenced in September. The mound, some 1,550 feet long was constructed by tipping graded quarried stone in blocks of up to one ton in
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weight upon the sea-bed formation and thus raising it up to a level of 5 feet above Highwater Spring Tides. Easy access between the mainland and the island has been attained by the construction of a concrete footpath at this level. Of the total quantity of 80,000 cubic yards of stone required to complete the mound some 73,000 were tipped during the year.
189. Central Reclamation Scheme. The only work required to complete the Central Reclamation was the construction of 267 feet of sea wall, as mentioned in last year's report, and this was completed in July thus closing the gap previously left open pending the diversion of the cross harbour water pipeline. Filling of the reclamation behind the sea wall was carried out by public dumping and was completed by the middle of August.
190. Kowloon Public Pier. This pier which was completed up to deck level last year was provided with a reinforced concrete roof similar in appearance to that erected on the new Queen's pier on the Island. Work was commenced in July and was completed early in October. The new pier was immediately put into use to enable the old Public pier to be demolished to make way for the construction of the New Star Ferry pier. To provide adequate access to the new Public pier it was necessary to remove the colonnade which joined the Kowloon Canton Railway Station with the old Star Ferry pier.
191. Sports Stadium, Sookunpoo. Construction in the Soo- kunpoo Valley of the modern sports stadium designed to accom- modation 28,500 spectators was completed during the year. description of the basic design and facilities provided was given in last year's report. In addition to the main contract, three additional contracts to provide general lighting facilities, a public address system and telephones, and a floodlighting scheme, were let during the year. Due to the delay in obtaining the necessary equipment from the United Kingdom only the general lighting scheme has been completed. The floodlighting scheme proposed allows for the erection on the adjacent hillsides of 4 steel towers varying in height from 69 to 154 feet and each tower will carry 36 floods of 1,500 watts each for illuminating
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the football field. In addition to the football field floods, the towers will also house separate lighting for the cinder-running track, seating terraces, periphery road and for the six adjacent car-parks. During the year a start was made on the construc- tion of the reinforced concrete tower foundations.
192. Sung Wong Toi Road Seawall. Construction of 300 feet of seawall and of 450 feet of box culvert was completed on this site and the reclamation carried out to the new Kai Tak Airport boundary. Approximately 2.40 acres were reclaimed.
193. Kowloon City Ferry Pier. The construction of this pier which was described in previous reports was completed except for the installation of two electrically operated passenger lifts and 6 ramps, the delivery of which from the United Kingdom had been delayed.
194. Stewart Road Ferry Pier. This pier, designed for use by the Hongkong & Yaumati Ferry Co., was completed by the end of the year.
It is 105 feet long, spans 22 feet between the seawall and a row of eight reinforced concrete pedestals in the sea and has been supplied with a steel-framed superstructure fixed by nuts and bolts which may easily be removed at a later date to allow the pier to be converted for general use. Two sets of landing steps, one temporarily decked over, are provided. Brick-built ticket offices are sited on the praya and these, too, may easily be removed if necessary.
195. Site Preparation for Low Cost Housing Scheme, Hung Hom. The removal of the hill adjacent to Ma Tau Wei Road, Hung Hom, was commenced in June and continued throughout the year. The scheme is being carried out with Colonial Development and Welfare funds to provide sites for low cost housing controlled by the Hong Kong Housing Society. The work was 67% completed by the end of the year, some 441,000 cubic yards of earth and rock having been removed and an area of about 189,000 square feet cut down to housing formation levels.
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196. Site Development at Tai Wan Hill, Hung Hom. The object of this work is to level Tai Wan Hill, Hung Hom, to produce building sites for resettlement housing schemes. The work was commenced in July and was more than half completed at the end of the year. Two sites for housing blocks were handed over to the Architectural Office for building purposes. The total amount of material removed by the end of the year was 249,000 cubic yards.
197. All the soft material removed from the above two housing schemes was dumped at Hung Hom Bay for reclama- tion purposes.
198. Cheung Sha Wan Seawall & Reclamation. To contain the rapidly expanding earth filling at Cheung Sha Wan Reclamation, the construction of a seawall 1,500 feet long was commenced in January. The rubble mound foundation and lower concrete foundation blocks for this wall were constructed before the war and the present contract allows for the com- pletion of the wall up to the approved reclamation levels. the end of the year 750 feet of wall had been constructed. reclamation when completed will provide 67.5 acres of land for housing and industrial development.
By The
199. Borings.
Miscellaneous Works
(a) The land boring unit was chiefly engaged in work connected with resettlement. Bores were sunk at Tai Wan Hill, Ho Chung, Pipers' Hill, Laichikok and Shaukiwan. 67 bores, with a total depth of 1,950 feet were sunk.
(b) Marine bores were made in connexion with various seawalls and reclamations, proposed new piers, the location of sand deposits and with new drainage out- falls. 230 bores with an aggregate depth of 6,000 feet were sunk.
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Queen Mary Hospital-House- men's Quarters and Casualty Clearing Station.
(See paragraph 45 of the Report),
Western Phase 1.
Police
Station. I
(See paragraph 54 of the Report).
LUL
1258
Leighton Hill Flats.
(See paragraph 17 of the Report)
Digitized by GOP&abeth School, Kowloon
(See paragraph 23 of the Report)
Hong Kong Star Ferry Pier.
(See paragraph 184 of the Report||
Improvement of Island Road/Repulse Bay Road junction looking south towards Island Road.
(See paragraph 224 of the Report).
200. Minor Works. Minor works carried out or com- menced were:
(a) Repairs to 2,900 feet of seawall at Tai O were
commenced.
(b) Site investigations were carried out for a resettlement
area at Aldrick Village, Shaukiwan.
(c) Five 90-ton typhoon mooring blocks were cast for the Marine Department and Contract documents prepared for the construction of an additional six.
(d) Inspections of private piers were carried out prior to
the renewal of permits and leases.
(e) Calculations and drawings for various marine structures submitted by private architects were
checked.
(f) Preliminary investigations and drawings for further reclamation in the Central District were commenced.
(g) Reinforced concrete chambers for the cooling water intakes to the air-conditioning plant at Police Head- quarters were cast and set into position under Arsenal Yard Pier.
(h) Lyemun Beacon was demolished by underwater blast- ing and a new reinforced concrete beacon was constructed.
(i) A steel gantry was designed and erected over the Government slipway for the Marine Department.
(j) Dredging and sandfilling of the foundation trench for the Yaumati sewer outfall was carried out for the Drainage Office.
201. Survey. The Survey Section was fully employed on many diverse types of surveying including land, marine and sub-marine work. All the work described in the preceding paragraphs was set out and the earth quantities measured by this Section.
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202. Re-survey at regular intervals was also carried out at public dumps such as Cheung Sha Wan and Hung Hom Bay in order to control dumping.
203. Other miscellaneous surveys carried out were:
(a) soundings for main sewerage schemes at Tai Kok Tsui, Wanchai and North Point for the Drainage Office.
(b) Markers for recording the movement of sand at Sha
Lo Wan.
(c) General Survey of Salt Pan No. 2 at Tai 0.
(d) The routine survey for leases and permits for piers in
the Colony.
(e) Surveys for proposed piers in the New Territories at
Kat O, Tap Mun and Ki Lung Har.
(f) Survey in Yau Tong Bay for a proposed development
of the area for shipbuilding yards.
Materials Testing Laboratory
204. Once again the Laboratory increased the number of tests carried out not only for the department but also for outside firms. No less than 5,786 tests were made on the com- pressive strength of concrete, which included 223 tests for outside firms and 1,800 tests for Tai Lam Chung Dam. The number of cubes tested was 27% more than in the previous
year.
205. Tests of the compressive strength of concrete pipes were also carried out in the Laboratory for the Drainage Office. In addition, standard tests were also performed on cement to a total of 799. Many new brands of cement which have lately been introduced into the Colony were tested.
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206. In the case of aggregate testing a total of 882 tests were carried out. In addition to sieve analysis the crushing strength, density and organic impurities of aggregates were investigated.
207. A total of 599 extraction tests were made from bituminous materials for Government Quarries. Many tests were also carried out for bitumen, asphalt and tar to ensure that the standard was up to British Standards Specification.
208. Soil tests amounting to 324 were carried out on the physical and chemical properties of soil.
209. Some of the varied types of materials tested were timber, iron man-hole covers, wood wool blocks and slabs.
ROADS OFFICE
Chief Engineer, W. A. Johnson, A.M.I. Mun. E., A.R.I.C.S.
General
210. Demands on the sub-department continued to increase, and the lack of sufficient professional and technical staff made it impossible to carry out all the work which required attention.
211. The increase in work resulted from an unabated increase in traffic, both in weight and volume, the deterioration of the pre-war lightly constructed type of road and the inade- quacy of carriageway and footpath widths. The attached graph shows how road lengths, numbers of vehicles licensed, popula- tion and output of crushed stone and bituminous materials from the Government Quarries have increased since 1920, and all these factors, directly or indirectly, are indicative of the demands upon the Roads Office and the alarming increase in those demands since 1946.
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સ
2.
LENGTH OF RD. IN COLONY TO BE MAINTAINED
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 5 吉 吉 营
PRODUCTN OF CRUSHED STONE ETC. IN 10.000 T/P.A.
о
N
I
VEHICLE LICENCES IN THOUSANDS
* * * ≈ 2 £ £ £ £ ! ❤
28
26
24
22
POPULATION IN MILLIONS
ཙཞལཞཤ་
의 의의 의의이
LENGTH
OF
ROAD
POPULATION
PRODUCTION
CRUSHED
VEHICLE LICENCES
1920
23 26
29 32
35
38
41
44
YEAR
47
1955/56 ROADS OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT
STONE
ETC.
୫
50
53
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212. Good weather during the year permitted most work to proceed with little hindrance. General road works were under- taken by local Contractors, while a direct labour force of nearly 1,200 artisans and workmen was employed on the operation of the two Government Quarries and on minor road maintenance.
213. Street lighting extension and maintenance was carried out by the electricity supply companies under agreement.
Reconstruction Policy
214. In order to reduce future maintenance costs, the policy of building new and reconstructed roads to a high standard was continued and the benefits of this policy have already become apparent.
215. In reconstructing City roads of restricted width, full allowance was made for future widening and levels and cambers were arranged so that they would fit in with the eventual road layout without further reconstruction.
216. Segregation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic was effected wherever possible on new and reconstructed roads in less developed areas by the use of verges between carriageways and footpaths. These verges are also used to accommodate public utility services and to provide space for bus bays and parking areas where required.
Reconstruction-City Roads, Victoria
217. Reconstruction work on the Island was on
a less extensive scale than previously, but the programme covered many works essential for enhancing road safety.
218. In order to cater for the anticipated vehicular and pedestrian traffic to and from the new Stadium at Sookunpoo, Caroline Hill Road was widened and reconstructed from Leigh- ton Road to the Stadium. The overall width of the road is 45
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feet, consisting of a 25 foot carriageway of 6 inch thick vibrated concrete base and 1 inch thick bitumen macadam wearing course and two 10 foot concrete footways. Widening was continued from the Stadium to Cotton Path to the same standard. Traffic islands were constructed at Leighton Road junction to improve control of traffic.
219. Improvement of Kennedy Road/Macdonnell Road junc- tion eliminated one of the bottlenecks in Kennedy Road. The old skew junction was removed, and re-located about 140 feet to the West so that the road lines intersect as close as possible to a right angle. The junction will eventually tie in with a widening scheme for Kennedy Road, but as a temporary measure a traffic island was constructed to suit the present system of traffic flows. One 5 foot concrete footway was provided on the section of new road and the carriageway was paved in a 4 inch thick base course and a 1 inch thick wearing course of bitumen macadam.
220. Another bottleneck removed in Kennedy Road was the sharp bend near Stone Nullah Lane. The road was re-aligned and made up with a flexible pavement of 9 inch overall thickness, consisting of 4 inch thick hardcore sub-base, 4 inch thick base course of bitumen macadam and 1 inch thick bitumen macadam wearing course. Reconstruction was carried out to the same specification but without hardcore sub-base from Stone Nullah Lane to the stepped access to Ship Street. A footway was provided along this length wherever possible. The stepped access to Ship Street was subsequently re-aligned.
221. Percival Street from Hennessy Road to Leighton Road was reconstructed following the relaying of tram-tracks. The carriageway was constructed in 6 inch thick vibrated concrete base and 1 inch thick wearing course of bitumen macadam. The kerb line at Leighton Road was altered to accentuate the right of way for traffic on Leighton Road.
222. New footways were provided in Upper Albert Road, Bonham Road, Pokfulam Road and Seymour Road.
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223. Link Road, Russell Street, a section of O'Brien Road, Village Road, Canal Road East, West Street, Wellington Street, Davis Street, Cadogan Street, Aberdeen Street, Ice House Street, Lyttleton Road, Park Road and sections on Jaffe Road and Stubbs Road were reconstructed during the year. Resurfacing was carried out on Lynhurst Terrace and a section of Castle Road.
Other Reconstruction-Island
224. Traffic islands, bus lay-bys and footways were con- structed at Island Road/Repulse Bay Road junction. Island Road was resurfaced between this junction and Beach Road junction and the bends were super-elevated.
225. Bus lay-bys at various locations on Island Road, Repulse Bay Road, Stubbs Road, and Pokfulam Road were completed, and were designed also to serve as passing bays for slow moving traffic when going up grades.
226. A bus terminus on Pokfulam Road near Queen Mary Hospital was built to accommodate buses of route No. 4. Lay-bys for route No. 7 buses and additional parking space for cars were provided in conjunction with the scheme to preclude obstructions on Pokfulam Road.
227. Resurfacing of Finlay Road, Whitfield Road, a section of Tai Hang Road and Tong Shui Road was effected. Severn Road Plantation Road junction was improved.
228. Aiming at a future 50 foot overall width, Stubbs Road at its junction with Queen's Road East, was widened by cutting on the hillside adjoining I.L. 6935, Wah Yan College. Align- ment of the road was such that it would tie in with a satisfactory junction with Queen's Road East, and so that the top line of cutting slope would not encroach on the lot.
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Reconstruction-Kowloon and New Territories
229. On completion of the decking to the nullah along Sung Wong Toi Road, the section between Tam Kung Road and To Kwa Wan Road was constructed. Also To Kwa Wan Road, from Sung Wong Toi Road and the Ma Tau Kok Ferry Con- course, was reconstructed to a standard adequate to take bus traffic between Kowloon City and the Ferry Concourse.
230. Along Sung Wong Toi Road provision was made for a 30 foot carriageway with a 10 foot parking strip, a 6 foot foot- path adjacent to the Airport and a 14 foot footpath adjacent to the built-up area, whilst along To Kwa Wan Road a 40 foot carriageway with two 10 foot footpaths was provided. The parking strip, the carriageway over the nullah and a drainage reserve strip were surfaced in bitumen macadam base and wearing courses. The remaining portion of the carriageway was constructed with 8 inch vibrated concrete slab on a hardcore base and surfaced with 1 inch thick bitumen macadam wearing course. Footpaths were surfaced with granolithic paving behind granite kerbstones. Dowel bars were used on all concrete slab joints. Traffic islands and illuminated bollards were installed at the junction formed by To Kwa Wan Road and Sung Wong Toi Road to direct traffic flow.
231. Following the decking of the nullah in Boundary Street, two sections of this street were reconstructed. The section from the Kowloon Canton Railway to Waterloo Road was made up of a 40 foot carriageway and two 10 foot footpaths with traffic islands and bollards at its junction with Embankment Road, and the section from the bridge west to the junction with "Road off Boundary Street" provided a 30 foot carriageway, two 9 foot verges and two 13 foot 6 inches wide footpaths with parking strip and bus lay-bys.
232. A length of Lai Chi Kok Road between Boundary Street and Poplar Street was reconstructed and made into a road with dual carriageways. This consisted of two 22 foot carriageways separated by a 4 foot wide central island planted with hedges, two 10 foot parking strips and two 16 foot footpaths.
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233. The reconstruction scheme for Castle Peak Road between the 6 and 9 milestones, described in last year's report, was continued.
234. The present scheme allows for a 58-foot wide roadway consisting of two footpaths, a verge and a 22-foot wide carriage- way. Eventually it will be widened to permit a further carriageway and verge. The total width will then be 100 feet. It is intended that the New Territories main ring road should eventually be to this standard.
235. The verge is to accommodate cables, services, and in particular the 48 inch diameter water main from the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. Road work and pipe laying had to be dovetailed together.
236. A large resettlement area was formed at Tai Wo Hau, Tsun Wan, to permit the removal of numerous squatters from the new road line.
237. Work was continued on the new bridge in Tsun Wan. This is a reinforced concrete continuous beam and slab bridge with two 51-foot spans to carry two 22-foot carriageways, two footpaths and a central verge with provision for cables and pipes under the footpaths.
238. The reconstruction of the weak bridge at Ho Chung on the Sai Kung Road was commenced in the Winter. Fair progress was maintained up to the end of this year. The new reinforced concrete bridge consists of three 30 feet spans on a 26° skew and has an overall width of 27 feet including a 20-foot carriageway and a 6-foot footpath. In forming the new bridge approaches, opportunity was taken to obtain the fill from road side cuttings in a section of Sai Kung Road between Clearwater Bay Road and Ho Chung, thus widening this section of road from the existing narrow width of approximately 10 feet to 20 feet.
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New Roads
239. A section of new road across Aberdeen Inland Lot 72 was made up for development of the lot and for further develop ment of the area to the North East of the lot.
240. Java Road was extended from Tong Shui Road to th new Sand Depot at Tin Chiu Street.
241. Other new roads constructed at the expense of propert owners were the roads in Lee Garden Estate, Finnie Road a Q.B.M.L.4, Wharf Road at M.L.s 430 and 431 and Marble Road at I.L. 2918. 6 inch hardcore sub-base was laid on several new roads at Jardine's Lookout.
242. A 30 foot wide development road leading from Stubbs Road to Shiu Fai Terrace was constructed. It consisted of one 18 foot wide carriageway in 4 inch thick base course of bitumen macadam and 1 inch thick wearing course with two 6 foot footways of 3 inch concrete pavement. The road will give access to new sites as well as existing lots at Mount Parish.
243. The second section of the "Road off Boundary Street" was completed and provided vehicle access to the resettlement flats at Tai Hang Tung. The road is 60 foot wide made up of a 22 foot carriageway of 6 inch vibrated concrete slab on 3 inch hardcore with 1 inch wearing course of bitumen macadam, two 9 foot verges and two 10 foot footpaths of granolithic concrete with granite kerbs. Parking and passing bays were also provided.
244. A length of about 1,000 feet of trained nullah between Tai Hang Tung and Tai Hang Sai was decked with a 10 inch reinforced concrete deck slab of vibrated concrete. Most of this decking was incorporated into the 40 foot road which provides vehicle access to the most northerly resettlement flats, and eventually to the development to the north. The carriage- way was made 22 feet wide and two 9 foot footpaths were provided.
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245. New roads such as Ede Road which provides access to the new Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Flats, Kowloon Tsai, access road to Chuk Un Resettlement Area and many streets in redeveloped private areas, such as Chun Tin Street, Wan Chong Street, Siu Lun Street, Hoi King Street, Chun Wing Street, Fu Kwei Street, together with a large number of streets which have not yet been given names, were constructed in 6 inch vibrated concrete on hardcore with a 1 inch bitumen macadam wearing carpet.
246. To provide for vehicle access into the Asiatic Petroleum Co. Ltd.'s installation at Kun Tong, a temporary surfaced road, 3,600 feet long was constructed from the end of the jeep track at Shun Wan over the new reclamation to the Kun Tong nullah. It is built along the road reserve for future development. The road is 22 feet wide and is constructed in 4 inch of waterbound macadam retained by two 6 inch × 9 inch concrete margins on top of hardcore varying from 6 inch to 2 feet in thickness. Surfacing is in 1 inch thick bitumen macadam. Turfed shoulders 5 feet wide with open ditches were provided on each side of the road.
247. During the year work was commenced on the construc- tion of feeder roads to villages in the New Territories. A total of about six miles of road was constructed at Tai Po, Shap Pat Heung and Lin Fa Ti. Work was commenced on a similar road in Lantao to connect Silvermine Bay with Tong Fuk, a distance of approximately 7 miles.
Miscellaneous
248. Surface dressing to existing road pavements was carried out by using the new mobile bitumen spraying machine on various roads throughout the Colony. Most of this work was carried out under trial conditions, in an effort to determine methods and materials most suited to Hong Kong.
249. Additional parking space was provided in Kennedy Road opposite Wanchai Polyclinic, off Stubbs Road opposite the Peak Tram Terminal building and on Island Road near Deep
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Water Bay. A car park, 2,300 square yards in area, between Roxy Theatre and Victoria Park was surfaced. The area can accommodate 79 cars and was widely used by patrons of the adjacent cinemas and visitors of the Victoria Park.
250. About 4,800 square yards of roads in 4 inch thick waterbound macadam with a 1 inch bitumen wearing carpet and 5,100 square yards of pedestrian paths in 1 inch vibrated stabilized laterite, with two coats of sponged bitumen and pinl sand were laid at Victoria Park.
251. Approach roads and hardstandings were completed a Chater Hall Flats, New Leighton Hill Flats, and the Electrica & Mechanical Workshop at Caroline Hill. Construction of ar access road to the Education Department Offices was carried out in conjunction with the reconstruction and widening of the internal road at St. John's Cathedral Precincts. Parking spaces for 34 cars were provided for Education Department officers.
252. Tramway passenger shelters and bus passenger shelters were built at various locations at the expense of the companies concerned.
253. 267 items of work executed on private account, includ- ing the widening of Magazine Gap Road in front of R.B.L. 673 by means of erecting reinforced concrete decking on trestles, were completed.
254. The concourse area for the Ma Tau Kok Ferry Pier was constructed with access from, and exit onto, To Kwa Wan Road on the north and the south side respectively. The car- riageways are 32 feet wide with each having a 18 foot and a 10 foot footpath. The carriageways, and most of the concourse area where heavy traffic is anticipated, were constructed with 8 inch thick vibrated concrete slab on a hardcore foundation varying from 6 to 12 inches thick. The area which is used by cars only is paved with a 6 inch thick vibrated concrete slab. Footpaths and platforms were surfaced with 24 inch thick granolithic paving against granite kerbs. Tubular railings were installed to regulate pedestrian traffic.
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3:
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a
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1
255. Maintenance work was carried out at Kai Tak Airport as required, and included the patching of the two runways, taxi track, access road, hardstanding with bituminous material and, the repainting of markers and signs.
256. A car park was constructed at the junction of Salisbury Road and Nathan Road to alleviate the shortage of parking space near the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Concourse.
257. The site formation for the new Tsun Wan Government School was completed. A total of 195,000 cubic yards of earth and rock was removed and deposited in Tsun Wan reclamation.
Quarries
258. The production of crushed granite and bitumen macadam, to meet the requirements of the Public Works Depart- ment, continued throughout the year.
259. Demands, which remained in the region of 200,000 tons for the year, were met on the Island by Tsat Tze Mui Quarry, and on the Mainland by Hok Un Quarry. The plant described in previous reports remained unchanged, but extensive modifica- tion at Hok Un Quarry resulted in the rate of production being doubled. This made possible the reduction of the working day from two to one eight-hour shift.
260. The following table shows the output from the Quarries in comparison with the figures for the four previous years:-
Bitumen Macadam (Tons)
Quarry
Hok Un
Morrison Hill
Crushed Stone (Tons)
51/52 52/53 | 53/54 | 54/55 | 55/56 | 51/52 | 52/53 | 53/54 | 54/55 | 55/56
|60,203 92,521| 84,980,105,331 103,409 22,885 23,656 26,938 25,107 30,166
(Operated by Contract)
Hung Shui Kiu 2,229|
(Closed down)
11,626
-
J
(Closed down)
That Tze Mui 29,506 88,646 97,583 103,457 100,353 10,537 25,339 21,326 24,826 30,352
Total...... 91,938|181,167|182,363 208,788|203,762|45,048|48,995|48,264 49,933 60,518
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261. To improve the output of compressed air, described in detail in last year's report, additional compressors were ordered from the United Kingdom.
262. Owing to a considerable increase in various costs, ir particular the cost of new plant from the United Kingdom, it was necessary to abandon the original scheme for the production of 800 tons per day of crushed stone at the new quarry proposed for Mt. Butler. However, work commenced and was at an advanced stage by the end of the year on a revised scheme for producing 400 tons per day. In making this reduction in the rate of production, the emphasis of design was placed on quality rather than quantity of the crushed stone and in particular of the bitumen macadam produced. In this respect experiments on the production of more durable road surfacing materials that at present produced were carried out. In view of successful results in using a denser mix, arrangements were also made for the modification of the existing plant concerned.
Street Lighting
263. The improvement and extension of public street light- ing was continued and, while the net increase of 540 lamps was less than the previous year, a considerable number of low powered lamps were replaced by more modern and powerful fittings.
264. As previously, the programme of street lighting was based on a priority list completed in conjunction with the Commissioner of Police.
265. During the year orders were placed with the electricity companies for lamps to be installed in almost all remaining streets which require lighting or improvement to existing lighting.
266. For the first time 140 watt sodium lamps were included in the programme. This type of lamp, which give a yellow or orange light, was installed along Stubbs Road from Tai Hang
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2 2 2.
મ
Road to Wanchai Gap, and is particularly suitable for areas liable to be shrouded in mist and along tree lined roads. In view of the success of these lamps orders were placed for the lighting of the remainder of Stubbs Road to the Peak Tram Terminus in a similar manner.
267. The progress made is indicated in the table below which shows the total numbers of the different types of light in operation:-
#
1954/55
1955/56
Type
3
Island
Mainland Total Island
Mainland
Total
Gas
549
11
Electric
2,060
100
2,164
649
540
4,224 2,246
86
626
2,519
4,765
Other Works
268. The Roads Office Storm Damage Organization was on call for general emergency work during bad weather, and over 65 calls for assistance were answered. These involved clearance of landslides, trees and boulders from roads, and rescue work involving danger to life was also undertaken.
269. Normal routine maintenance was carried out on cemeteries throughout the year.
270. Progress with the 3-year contract for the removal of Morrison Hill was slowed down owing to difficulties in dumping overburden.
Traffic Control and Aids
271. Liaison with the Commissioner of Police continued in respect of the erection of new traffic signs, pedestrian railings and white lines. Work was continued on the replacement of various types of obsolete illuminated traffic signs by bollards of an accepted standard.
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WATERWORKS OFFICE
Waterworks Engineer, R. H. Woodman, B.Sc.
Assistant Waterworks Engineer, T. O. Morgan, B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E.
General
272. Owing to the rapid expansion of industries and to the completion of new housing projects and large scale squatter resettlement schemes, the demand for water continued to increase.
273. Although more than average rainfall was received, its distribution throughout the year was more than usually uneven. In the Shing Mun catchment area, for example, approximately 90 per cent of the rain fell during the four consecutive months May to August. In consequence, for long periods it was necessary to restrict severely the hours of supply. At the beginning of the year the effects of the previous year's very low rainfall was still evident and only a 3-hour per day zoned supply was possible until the 12th May when the supply period was extended to 9 hours per day. Owing to the excessive demand which longer hours of supply make on the reservoirs in the Tytam Valley, it was not possible with safety to increase this supply period until the 18th July when the hours were extended to 11 per day.
274. August marked the effective end of the wet season and maximum storage was not attained after the 10th September. The hours of supply were accordingly reduced to 7 per day on the 14th October and again to 5 per day on the 3rd November. Consumption on the 5-hour period, however, was higher than had been anticipated and on the 26th November zoning was once again introduced and the hours of supply reduced to 24 per day, the most severe restrictions which had so far been imposed.
275. As a result of the very early end of the rainy season, the yield of the streams had by early November fallen far below normal for the time of year and it became apparent that the
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Tai Lam Chung-Supply Works.
(See paragraph 306(c) of the Report).
Filters-Test water in No. 1.
Tai Lam Chung Scheme-Supply Works. towards Portal C.
Tunnel No. 2. Lining-Looking
(See paragraph 306(b) of the Report).
WELKEITELJ 871
Part of the Machine Shop of the new Mechanical Work- shop.
(See paragraph 158 of the Report).
牌
Electrical and Mechanic Workshops, Caroline Hi
(See paragraph 158 of the Reperti
General view of the man vehicle repair section of th new Mechanical Worksho
(See paragraph 158 of the Reporti
severe restrictions on the hours of supply were not in them- selves sufficient to ensure that adequate reserves would be held to maintain the supply until the next rainy season.
276. A rapid review of possible additional sources of supply and of the equipment available was accordingly made and it was decided that two pumping schemes offered a practical solution. to the problem. The first, which was comparatively simple, consisted of pumping water from the Shing Mun River at Shatin against the static head of approximately 500 feet to the Beacon Hill catchwater. The diesel pump unit was removed for this purpose from the Rumsey Street Pumphouse of the Salt Water Pumping Scheme and installed at Shatin; an intake was con- structed on the stream and 3,900 feet of 8 inch pipe laid to Beacon Hill catchwater. Work was completed and the scheme which was put into operation on the 21st December resulted in an additional 800,000 gallons per day being supplied to Kowloon Reservoir.
277. The second scheme was more elaborate and provided for the construction of an intake dam on the Lam Tsuen Valley stream and another on the large stream which flows into the sea to the east of Taipo Market. It involved the laying of 600 feet of 12 inch, 1,500 feet of 15 inch and 15,000 feet of 18 inch piping and the installation of five pumping stations, housing seven pumping units, to pump the water by stages over the 1,300 feet high Lead Mine Pass and into the Jubilee Reservoir.
278. The pumps taken for the scheme were the Booster pump from the Aberdeen trunk main and one diesel set from a dismantled P. W. D. dredger for use at the Lam Tsuen stream intake; the diesel and two electrically driven sets, which had been received for the New Tsun Wan Pumping Station, for use at the second intake and at the first and second booster stations respectively; and the two small electric sets from Tytam Tuk for the final boost below Lead Mine Pass. This scheme was completed in February and commenced delivering water to Jubilee Reservoir at the rate of 2 million gallons per day towards the end of the month. By the end of March the two schemes had added 131 million gallons to the resources.
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279. The usual problems attendant upon drastic curtailment of the hours of supply were again very much in evidence. large programme of renewals and improvements including tem- porary alterations to the distribution system was carried out to obtain the maximum benefit from the limited quantity of water for disposal.
280. During the summer months, while the reservoirs were overflowing and where filtration was adequate to meet the local demand, certain outlying districts were given a full supply.
Rainfall.
Supply
281. The rainfall for the year, as recorded by the Royal Observatory, was 96.27 inches or 11.53 more than the average of 84.74 inches. This compares with an average of 93.23 inches recorded by the raingauges in the various Waterworks catch- ment areas.
Storage.
282. The following table gives details of storage in the impounding reservoirs:-
Date
Storage in Million
Gallons
Remarks
April 1st 1955
1,986
Slightly below normal.
May 8th
1,598
Minimum.
July 19th, 22nd 23rd & 24th..
Aug. 19th, 20th 21st & 30th.
5,971
Maximum. All reservoirs overflowed
for 8 days.
Between May 12th & Sept. 10th
April 1st 1956
1,858
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One or more reservoir overflowed to
waste on 75 days.
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Consumption.
283. The Urban areas were supplied with 12,679 million gallons of water and the New Territories' villages with a further 404 million gallons, an increase of 2,708 and 61 million gallons respectively over the previous year. During the summer when an 11-hour supply was given the consumption averaged 48 million gallons per day for long periods, with a peak figure of 50.52 million gallons on the 2nd September. Maximum daily consumption, 54.88 million gallons (the highest ever recorded), occurred during the Chinese New Year holiday when a full supply was given from 6 a.m. on the 11th to 9 a.m. on the 13th February. It was not possible to allow a full supply during any other public holidays.
Distribution.
284. 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 length of mains and submains was laid to enlarge or to replace old and encrusted ones.
Water Analysis.
285. The usual close watch on the quality of water was maintained and numerous samples of raw, filtered and chlorinated water were tested both by the
both by the Government Pathologist and by the Government Chemist. The standard was generally satisfactory and in the few cases where the required standard of purity was not attained, the source of pollution was traced and eradicated.
286. A total of 296 samples were taken from the service reservoirs and of these 291 or 98% were up to standard, coliform organisms being absent in 100 c.c. A total of 697 samples were taken from consumers' taps and 657, representing 94% of the total, were of the required standard of purity. The majority of the unsatisfactory samples were traced to defects in the consumers' inside services, the balance occurred either in the Peak or West Point districts. The pollution at
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}
West Point was traced to a steel tank. The tank was cleaned and chlorinated and after this was done, nor more bad samples were reported from the area. The pollution of the Peak supply was referred to in last year's report. Remedial measures were put in hand early this year and after these had been completed, no further bad samples were taken.
Pumping.
287. The number of gallons pumped as compared with the previous year was as follows:
Raw Water
Filtered Water
Total
1955/56... 2811 Million Gallons 2189 Million Gallons 5000 Million Gallons
1954/55 ... 2470
Increase .. 341
"
>>
1646 543
97
"1
4116
884
+1
"
The total quantity pumped was approximately 21.4% more than during last year.
Waste Detection.
288. The necessity for a restricted supply again hampered severely the work of this important branch of the distribution system. Its attention was confined to tracing visible defects in mains and inside services and the prevention of the use of water for purposes other than purely domestic.
Metered Services.
289. During the year 2,342 additional metered services were installed on the Island and 3,908 on the Mainland, bringing the total to 50,097 of which 24,880 were on the Island and 25,217 on the Mainland.
Workshops.
290. Owing to a large amount of work which had to be carried out in connexion with the Tai Lam Chung project and with the emergency pumping schemes at Taipo and Shatin, the workshops were kept extremely busy, but by working overtime no important work was delayed.
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2- 291. A 91⁄2 inch centre lathe was received and installed. In n; addition, in order that the machine shop may be better able to ip cope with the work which it is called upon to undertake, a 38 we inch radial drilling machine and 20 inch shaping machine were ete: ordered.
th:
lots
292. A total of 1,545 orders were dealt with of which 1,461 were for the Waterworks Office.
293. 26,578 meters were overhauled in the meter repair shop and a further 11,207 repaired on site. This represents 75.5% of the meters installed and an increase of 4.1% over the number overhauled during the previous year.
Mainlaying.
Renewals and Improvements
294. Work on mainlaying was concentrated on extensions to new development, alterations necessitated by road reconstruc- tion and the enlargement of under-sized pipes in areas where ed pressures were inadequate.
on
in
er
18
295. A total of 202,747 feet of piping varying in sizes between 1 inch and 18 inch diameter were laid, the more important work completed being as follows:-
Hong Kong.
(a) Island Road, Aberdeen.
To improve the pressures both in Aberdeen and Aplichau, approximately 1,300 feet of 6 inch pipe was relaid in 10 inch. (b) Wanchai Districts.
Numerous complaints were being received from this area and, in consequence, an existing 5 inch pipeline in Tin Lok Lane and another 6 inch in Wanchai Road were relaid in 10 inch.
(c) High Street.
A 10 inch pipeline between Eastern Street and Western Street was relaid in 12 inch to improve the supply.
(d) Various sizes of mains were relaid in the following roads in
conjunction with reconstruction work.
Canal Road East, Kennedy Road, Davis Street, Wellington Street, Percival Street and Russel Street.
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Mainland.
(a) Nan Chang Street between Castle Peak Road and Ki Lung
Street.
To improve the supply to Shamshuipo, an existing 6 inch pipeline was enlarged to 12 inch.
(b) Outlet from Yaumati Service Reservoir,
A new 18 inch outlet was laid from this reservoir to join the existing distribution system at the junction of Nathan Road and Waterloo Road to improve conditions in the Yaumati and Mongkok areas.
Service Reservoirs.
296. All service reservoirs were cleaned and inspected. Repairs were carried out as necessary and to eliminate the pollution of the Peak supply, the Peak Tank itself was lined by spraying a thin plastic membrane on to the invert, columns, and the inner faces of the walls.
Catchwaters.
297. Repairs were carried out to various catchwaters and many small landslides cleared. A 2 foot high plinth, 5,600 feet long, was constructed above the invert and along the south wall of Beacon Hill catchwater. In addition, a 6 inch high kerb was erected for a similar length along the dry weather flow channel to take the additional water from the Shatin Emergency Pump- ing Scheme.
New Pumping Plant.
298. Bowen Road. The installation, commenced last year, of the electrically driven set was completed.
Eastern. The oil engine set ordered to cope with the increased demand from the Jardine's Lookout tank was received but the flywheel was found to be broken and installation was delayed.
Elliot. Although the necessary switch gear and electric cables were received during the year, the new pumping unit ordered in 1953/54 to replace the standby steam set was not delivered.
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299. Two oil engine units were taken over by this office from the Port Works Dredger. One which was intended for duty at Eastern to boost the delivery along the Bowen Road main was installed as an emergency measure at Taipo, the second was removed to Bullock Lane Workshop where it was overhauled prior to installation as an additional booster on the Aberdeen- Elliot trunk main.
Kowloon Rapid Gravity Filters.
300. The construction of the filter house was completed but delivery of the filtration equipment fell well behind schedule, some being still outstanding at the end of the year. The reservoir to be constructed on the site of the slow sand beds was designed and contract drawings and documents completed.
Tytam Shaukiwan Supply.
301. The general details of the scheme have been given in previous reports. During the current year the overall planning of the supply and the location of the works at Sai Wan were completed. A contract was let for the construction of a 4-million gallon service reservoir, the erection of the filter house and quarters to house the operating staff. The quarters were completed and the installation of filtration equipment com- menced but delivery from the United Kingdom was well behind schedule. Approximately 9,400 feet of 18 inch pipe and 1,500 feet of 15 inch pipe were laid to link up the filters with Tytam Tuk Pumping Station, the service reservoir and the supply area.
Eastern and Albany Conversion Scheme and Tin Hau Temple
Road Supply.
302. The Eastern and Albany Conversion Scheme has been described in previous reports. The only work outstanding was the construction of a service reservoir which was to have been constructed on the site of the slow sand beds at Eastern. In view, however, of the rapid development at North Point it was decided that the reservoir should now be erected on the hillside above North Point. A scheme was therefore prepared whereby water would be pumped from the existing North Point Tank
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to a new reservoir at an elevation of approximately + 700 to feed the Tin Hau Temple Road area thus combining both projects to form one scheme. Survey and boring work was completed in connexion with the location of the reservoir which will have a capacity of 5 million gallons.
Tsun Wan Supply.
303. Tsun Wan is a rapidly expanding town situated along Castle Peak Road, approximately 8 miles from Kowloon. In recent years a number of factories, mostly for the manufacture of textiles, have been erected and many more are planned provided a supply of water can be assured. At present this area is fed from an intake in the Shing Mun catchwater. There is no storage and the quantity available during the dry season which is entirely dependent on the flow in the catchwater is totally inadequate to meet present day demand. Tsun Wan is to be given a supply from the Tai Lam Chung Scheme as soon as water becomes available. A contract was accordingly let for the construction on a site adjacent to the new Tai Lam Chung Rapid Gravity Filters of a 5-million gallon capacity service reservoir. An indent was placed for 21, 18 and 12 inch diameter pipes for the distribution system.
Tai Lam Chung Scheme.
304. This project has been described in previous reports. A detailed contour survey of the reservoir area was completed and the maximum storage computed at 4,507 million gallons or somewhat less than the rough estimate obtained from the 1 in 20,000 ordnance sheets. The scheme will, however, still provide a maximum of 40 million gallons of potable water per day.
305. It has been stated in previous reports that the scheme would be carried out in stages. The work in hand at the begin- ning of the year, which was estimated to cost $80,000,000.00, would have provided, a maximum of 20 million gallons of water per day. Approval, however, was obtained during the year to complete the project at an estimated total cost of $125,000,000.00.
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306. In regard to the work previously approved satisfactory progress was made on the following:
(a) The construction of Waterfall dam.
(b) The construction of approximately 8,700 yards of tunnel generally 6 feet 9 inches in diameter between Tai Lam Chung and Tsun Wan.
(c) The erection of a building to house a 20 million gallons
per day filtration plant.
(d) Excavation for a 10-million gallon service reservoir
near Lai Chi Kok.
(e) The construction of a 12-million
12-million gallon service reservoir at Kau Wa Kang.
(f) The construction of a 5-million gallon service reservoir
at Ma Tau Wei.
(g) The construction of a 5-million gallon service reservoir
at Diamond Hill.
(h) The laying of approximately 20,000 feet of 30 inch, 4,000 feet of 24 inch and 3,000 feet of 21 inch diameter steel pipes.
307. Additional separate contracts were let and satisfactory progress made on the following:-
(a) The construction of low gap dams Nos. 2 and 3.
(b) The construction of the catchwater tunnel and settling
basin.
(c) The laying of one of the 36 inch rising mains to the
filters.
(d) The laying of the trunk main between Lai Chi Kok
Gap and Diamond Hill.
(e) The construction of a pumping station at Tsun Wan.
(f) The construction of a pumping station and balance
tank at Kau Wa Kang.
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308. In connexion with the completion of the scheme boring and survey work were continued. Orders were placed for additional pumps and filtration equipment, and new indents placed for the extra pipes and valves required.
New Reservoir-Lantao Island.
309. Owing to the rapid increase in population and the big industrial development which has taken place in recent year, it has become apparent that even after the Tai Lam Chung Scheme has been completed and put into operation the water resources of the Colony will still be far from sufficient to meet its needs.
310. The possibility of obtaining additional supplies from Lantao Island was accordingly considered and a preliminary scheme prepared. This involved the construction of a dam near Tung Wan to impound water in the Shek Pik Valley which is located in the south-western portion of the Island, the erection of a pumping station and high level reception reservoir at Ngau Ku Wan near Silver Mine Bay, the construction of an aqueduct to link this with Shek Pik Reservoir and the laying of twin submarine pipes to conduct the water from Ngau Ku Wan to a filtration plant to be erected at Mt. Davis on the island of Hong Kong. The scheme envisaged the addition of an average of some 30 million gallons per day to the Colony's resources.
311. Consulting Engineers were subsequently commissioned to carry out detailed investigations and to prepare a report.
Miscellaneous Work
New Territories' Supply.
312. (a) Cheung Chau.
The scheme to supply water to Cheung Chau was completed. It consisted of building a dam 34 feet high to impound approximately 30 million gallons. of water, the laying of a 6 inch cement asbestos
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pipeline 9,400 feet long on Lantao, the laying of 4,400 feet of 6 inch steel submarine pipeline in the channel between Lantao and Cheung Chau, the construction of roughing filters, the erection of a pumphouse, the installation of two diesel pumps, the construction of a 100,000 gallon service reser- voir and the laying of approximately 5,000 feet of 6 inch diameter distribution pipes.
(b) Ping Chau Mirs Bay.
During the previous two years 9 wells approxi- mately 40 feet deep were sunk on the island of Ping Chau. While these wells enabled the island to be self sufficient for the majority of the long dry season of 1954/55, water had to be conveyed there by boat during the month of April and it was evident that there was little hope of getting sufficient water during the dry months from wells. Work was accordingly commenced on the construc- tion of a small dam to impound approximately 500,000 gallons which is the maximum possible storage which the configuration of the ground would permit.
Resettlement Areas.
313. The Commissioner for Resettlement effected a number of squatter clearances to enable roads to be widened and to permit pipelaying for the Tai Lam Chung Scheme. The people were accommodated in new low cost blocks of apartments at Li Cheng Uk, Tai Wo Ping, Tai Hang Tung, Shek Kip Mei and Tai Wo Hau. To provide these areas with a water supply, a large amount of mainlaying was done. An 8 inch cement asbestos pipe was laid from Cheung Sha Wan to provide salt water flushing at Li Cheng Uk and Shek Kip Mei and a 40,000 gallon service reservoir and a pumphouse constructed for Tai Wo Hau.
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New Mental Hospital-Castle Peak.
314. Work was commenced on laying approximately 8,000 feet of 4 inch cement asbestos pipeline from an intake in the Lam Ti stream to provide a supply to the new hospital under construction.
Boring.
315. The three diamond rotary core drilling machines were fully occupied on various site investigations for service reser- voirs at Tsun Wan, Ngau Tau Kok, Diamond Hill and North. Point.
Irrigation-New Territories.
316. The irrigation work carried out so far has aimed at utilizing available water to better advantage and preventing leakage by the construction of diversion dams, the lining with concrete of irrigation channels and the development of under- ground springs. Very little had been done to provide additional
water.
317. During the previous year preliminary investigations were carried out and a programme of work to be undertaken over two years prepared. It contained items for the construc- tion of two dams, one at Hung Shui Hang to impound 26 million gallons of water and one at Lo Foo Hang to impound 24 million gallons of water. Detailed drawings were prepared and contracts let for their construction.
318. In addition, work was commenced on the following:-
(a) The construction of a 6 feet high diversion dam at
Sha Tong, Sheung Shui.
(b) The construction of 3 diversion dams near Ta Ku Ling. (c) Repairs to a diversion dam at Ho Sheung Heung. (d) The lining of 5,000 feet of channel with concrete, the
formation of 3 water ponds, the construction of one diversion dam and the sinking of one shallow well to settle a serious water dispute between the villages of San Tin and Chau Tau.
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Revenue and Expenditure
319. Water accounts were, as usual, sent out quarterly and › supplementary and miscellaneous accounts rendered as due.
· Approximately 191,241 water accounts were dealt with compared with 171,000 in the previous year. The water rates at $0.80 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.
320. The contract for the first stage in the development of the new airport was awarded on 2nd August to the Societé Française d'Entreprises de Dragages et de Travaux Publics, with Messrs. Gammon (Malaya) Ltd. as their main Sub- contractors. The division of work between these two firms provided for all dredging operations and the construction of the low half of the seawalls to be undertaken by the Societé Française, and for Messrs. Gammon (Malaya) Ltd. to construct the upper half of the walls, the pavements and the drainage, and to excavate the Kowloon Hills in the approach to the new runway. Government appointed Mr. A. W. C. Villiers as Chief Resident Engineer for the scheme, with Mr. H. D. Butterworth as Resident Engineer in charge of marine works, and Mr. G. Wilson as Senior Assistant Resident Engineer in charge of land works.
321. From August to January the Contractors were engaged in building up their organization of personnel and plant and undertaking preliminary work. The plant came from a variety of sources-two large bucket dredgers and a floating crane were towed from Southern France; a fleet of 9 tugs, 10 barges and 4 pontoons were fabricated in Hong Kong dockyards; the machinery for a grab-dredger and two cutter-suction dredgers were shipped from the U.S.A.; a fleet of tipping lorries was shipped from England and bodies for these were fabricated in Hong Kong; excavators, bull-dozers and a variety of other plant came from Singapore, England and the U.S.A.; another floating
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crane and 3 flat-topped barges were purchased in Hong Kong. From January onwards, this plant came progressively into operation, and all but a few items were working by the end of March. Small-scale excavation of the Kowloon Hills commenced on 26th December but a high output was not achieved until after the 9th March when the fenced access route from the hills to the reclamation was completed and opened to the Contractors' lorries. By the end of March some 180,000 cubic yards of material from the hills had been placed in the reclamation. The first bucket dredger commenced mud-stripping on 6th February and by the end of March it and the grab-dredger had removed about 300,000 cubic yards of mud. The second bucket dredger started on sand dredging on 5th March, and had dredged about 153,000 cubic yards by the end of the month. The contract as a whole had got under way ahead of programme. The comple- tion date is 28th August, 1958.
322. Some changes were made in the layout of the new airport, notably the addition of an extra 1,140 feet of runway at the landward end to give a total length of 8,340 feet for take-off, and a redesign of the terminal area to reduce the extent of reclamation inshore.
EXPENDITURE
323. The total expenditure during the year amounted to some $123,490,000 as compared with $82,845,000 in 1954 55. Approximately $81,434,000 was spent on major public works and $18,629,000 on recurrent maintenance works. Salaries and other administrative costs accounted for some $18,646,000. The following comparative statement shows the expenditure on Public Works during the four years 1952/53 to 1955/56.
Personal Emoluments Non-
and Other Recurrent
Recurrent
Rehabili- Mis- tation Loan cellaneous
Total
Charges
$
1952/53..
1953/54.
1954/55.
1955/56..
12,742,000 | 37,113,000 | 17,887,000 16,277,000 | 30,608,000 | 19,629,000 16,888,000 | 45,100,000₫ 17,480,000 18,646,000 | 81,434,000 | 18,629,000
1,178,000
25,000
6,680,000 8,513,000
75,600,000
75,052,000
| 3,377,000
82,845,000
4,781,000 | 123,490,000
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STAFF WELFARE
324. Canteen. The canteen in the lower ground floor of the main Government Offices continued to remain popular with members of the Department who worked in the vicinity. During the year a canteen providing cooking, dining and recreational facilities was completed and opened for the use of staff of the Waterworks sub-department stationed at the Bullock Lane depot, Wanchai. This canteen was made possible by converting space previously used as a storeroom whilst all the conversion I work was carried out by the men themselves in their spare time and all furniture and equipment was purchased from funds raised by private subscription.
325. 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.
326. Sports, Picnics, etc. During the winter months con- siderable activity took place amongst the Department's football enthusiasts both within and without the Department. The greatest success was perhaps achieved by the Roads sub- department and the Electrical and Mechanical sub-department for both entered teams in the 3rd Division of the Hong Kong Football Association and acquitted themselves with every credit. Leave of absence was also freely given to those members of the staff who were selected either by their Clubs or the Hong Kong Football Association to travel with teams on tours overseas.
327. Facilities continued to be made available for members to hire Government transport for private picnics to the country- side or bathing resorts.
328. Great interest was also shown in the "Littlejohn" table tennis trophy, mentioned in last year's report, which was competed for, for the first time during the year by 14 teams
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representing all sub-departments. The trophy was eventually won by the Waterworks "A" team but only by a very narrow margin from the Electrical and Mechanical "B" team. introduction of this competition resulted in the two "rest-rooms" at Headquarters where all the games were played being fully used during the season.
329. The "Littlejohn" golf trophy which was also competed for, for the first time during the year was won by Mr. W. W. C. Shewan who defeated Mr. J. C. Brown in the final. Mr. Shewan, Assistant Director (Buildings) who proceeded on retirement in January, 1956, also presented a trophy for annual competition amongst the golfing members of the Department and arrange- ments for this competition were in hand at the end of the year.
330. Welfare Officers. The Headquarter's 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
331. The year has been again one of record expenditure and I wish to express my sincere thanks to all members of the department for their loyal and untiring service.
9th July, 1956.
THEODORE L. BOWRING, C.M.G., O.B.E.,
M.I.C.E., M.I.STRUCT.E.,
Director of Public Works.
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