ANNUAL
DEPARTMENTAL
REPORTS
1957-58
IONG KONG
PRICE: $4.50
J
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
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HONG KONG
ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORT
BY THE
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR 1957-58
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. F. C. Jenner, GOVERNMENT PRINTER
AT THE Government Press. Java ROAD. HONG KONG
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EXCHANGE RATES
Where dollars are quoted in this Report, they are Hong Kong dollars. The official rate for conversion to pound sterling is HK$16=£1 (HK$1=1s. 3d.). The official rate for conversion to US dollars is HK$5.714: US$1 (based on £1=US$2.80) but a more realistic, though approximate, rate based on the local fluctuating open market would be nearer HK$5.90=US$1.
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GENERAL
Staff
Training
Visiting Officials
CONTENTS
Paragraphs
3
10
G
9
12
13. 17
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
General
Office Buildings
Buildings for the Education Department
New Territories Administration
Fire Brigade
Police Department
Medical Department
hey are version
The
5.714=
calistic
Cluating
Post Office
Prisons Department
Public Works Department Resettlement Department Stores Department
Urban Services Department
·
18
28
37
45
-
-
27
36
44
49
50 51
-
52 58
59 -
70
71 - 73
74 78
L
79 80 81 92
·
93 94
95 - 107
Miscellaneous
108 - 116
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
117 - 136
CROWN LANDS AND SURVEYS Office
General
137 - 162
Planning
163 - 170
Survey
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171 181
Drawing Office
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182 187
DRAINAGE OFFICE
General
Resettlement and Housing Development Nullah Decking and Reconstruction Disposal Works and Intercepting Sewers Private Works
i
188 - 193
194
•
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195 - 196
197 - 199
200 202
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ELECTRICAL and Mechanical Office
General
Mechanical Section
Electrical Section
Air Conditioning and Refrigerating Section.
Paragraphs
203 - 204
205 - 220
221 - 229
230 - 231
Port Works Office
General
232
Maintenance
233
239
New Construction
240 - 255
Miscellaneous Works
256 - 259
Materials Testing Laboratory
260 - 262
ROADS OFFICE
General
263 - 267
City Roads, Victoria
268 - 269
Island Roads-Outside the City Limits
270 - 275
Kowloon Roads
276 - 281
New Territories Roads
282 - 287
Bridges and Subways.
288 - 294
Traffic.
Street Lighting
Quarries
WATERWORKs Office
General
Supply.
Renewals and Improvements Miscellaneous Works
KAI TAK AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT Schemes
295 - 298
299 - 300
301 - 304
305 307
308 - 322
323 - 339
340 - 349
350 - 353
354 - 355
·
Expenditure
REVENUE
STAFF WELFARE
•
APPRECIATION
356
357
358
359 - 364
365
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GENERAL
THIS report covers the activities of the Public Works Department for the financial year ending 31st March, 1958.
2. The operations of the Department were carried out by eight sub- departments under the direction of the Headquarters staff.
3.
STAFF
HEADQUARTERS
Director-Hon. J. Forbes, O.B.E., B.Sc., M.I.C.E. (until 31st May)
Hon. A. Inglis, A.M.I.C.E.
Deputy Director-Mr. H. W. Forsyth, B.E., A.M.N.Z.Inst.E., M.I.C.E. Assistant Director, Engineering--Mr. W. A. Johnson, M.I.Mun.E., A.R.I.C.S.
Buildings-Mr. A. M. J. Wright, A.R.I.B.A., A.R.I.C.S.
Secretary-Mr. E. L. Strange
Architectural Office: Chief Architect
Assistant Chief Architects
Senior Structural Engineer
Senior Quantity Surveyor
Buildings Ordinance Office:
Chief Building Surveyor Assistant Chief Building
Surveyors
Crown Lands & Surveys Office:
Superintendent of Crown
Lands & Surveys Assistant Superintendent
of Crown Lands Assistant Superintendent
of Crown Lands Assistant Superintendent
of Surveys
Drainage Office:
Chief Engineer
SUB-DEPARTMENTS
S
Mr. G. P. Norton, A.R.I.B.A.
Mr. J. C. Charter, A.A.Dip., A.R.I.B.A. Mr. J. T. Mallorie, Dip.Arch. (L'pool),
A.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I.
Mr. A. E. Claassen, M.I.Struct.E., A.M.
(S.A.) I.C.E.
Mr. A. F. Evans, A.R.I.C.S.
Mr. R. Fairbairn, A.R.I.C.S., M.R.S.H.
Mr. P. V. Shawe, A.R.I.C.S., M.R.S.H. Mr. G. Thomson. A.R.I.B.A.
Mr. J. E. Richardson, F.R.I.C.S.
Mr. R. H. Hughes, M.A. (Cantab.),
A.R.I.C.S.
Mr. R. C. Clarke, B.Sc., LL.B. (Lond.),
D.P.A. (Lond.), A.M.I.Min.E., A.R.I.C.S. Mr. C. S. Barron, M.B.E. (Mil.), A.R.L.C.S.
Mr. E. P. W. Morgan, B.Sc. (Bristol),
A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.W.E.
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Electrical & Mechanical Office: Chief Electrical & Mechanical
Engineer
Port Works Office:
Chief Engineer
Assistant Chief Engineer
Waterworks Office:
Waterworks Engineer
Assistant Waterworks Engineer
4. The following officers
Mr. J. C. Brown, B.Sc. (Edin.), M.I.E.E.,
M.I.Mech.E.
Mr. F. A. Fisher, B.Sc. (Eng.) (Lond.),
LL.B. (Lond.), A.M.I.C.E.
Mr. J. Alexander, B.Sc. (Eng.) A.M.I.C.E.
Mr. T. O. Morgan, B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E. Mr. C. I. Wilks, A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.W.E.
carried out acting duties in senior posts
during the absence from the Colony of the substantive office-holders:
Hon. J. Forbes, O.B.E.
Mr. H. W. Forsyth
Mr. G. P. Norton
Mr. J. W. Ferris
Mr. J. C. Charter Mr. H. Ross
Mr. Wong Ting Tsai
Mr. P. V. Shawe Mr. W. S. Sharp
Mr. K. B. Baker
Director of Public Works
Deputy Director
Assistant Director (Buildings) Secretary
Chief Architect
Assistant Chief Architects
Chief Building Surveyor
Assistant Chief Building Surveyor Chief Electrical & Mechanical Engineer
5. The expatriate staff of the department numbered 182 and the non- expatriate staff 3,961. The number of daily rated artisans and labourers averaged 1,440 and the transfer of this class of employees from daily pay to monthly pay was continued during the year. The figures for expatriate staff showed a reduction of seven officers whilst those for non-expatriate staff showed an increase of 881 over the figures for the previous year.
6. Recruitment of expatriate staff, particularly engineers, was again very disappointing and barely balanced normal casualties and retire- ments. Consequently with expenditure reaching new heights the staff was pressed harder than ever. To keep up with the swollen building programme increased use was made of architects in private practice and on the engineering side several projects were delayed or in some instances not commenced.
7. Mr. J. Forbes, O.B.E., retired from the post of Acting Director on 31st May, on the arrival in the Colony of Mr. Allan Inglis from Malaya.
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8. In accordance with established practice all works were carried out by contract and it can be said that the competitive tendering and overall high quality of workmanship reflected favourably on the con-
tractors.
9. Total expenditure by the Department amounted to $174,614,000.00 compared with $160,212,000.00 for the previous year. A break-down of departmental expenditure over the last ten years is presented in paragraph 357 of this report.
TRAINING
10. In furtherance of the policy of providing training facilities for artisans and young professional engineers an additional fifteen youths between the ages of fifteen and seventeen signed agreements whereby they will be given a sandwich course of instruction over a three year period in the waterworks or mechanical workshops and the Technical College. This brought the total number of craft apprentices up to forty four.
11. Seven engineering graduates from the Hong Kong University were indentured to the Director on behalf of the Institution of Civil Engineers to assist them in gaining practical experience leading to Associate Membership of the Institution. Three graduates in architec- ture signed similar agreements.
12. During the summer vacation the usual six Hong Kong University engineering students were attached to various sub-departments for training.
VISITING OFFICIALS
13. Inspections of the Tai Lam Chung Water Supply Scheme and the new Kai Tak Airport project were made by Mr. Eugene Melville, C.M.G., Assistant Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office, during his visit to the Colony in March.
14. In the same month we were honoured by a visit of the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Sir Arthur Whitaker and the Secretary, Mr. Alexander McDonald, who were en route to the Com- monwealth Engineering Conference in Australia.
15. In June the Department was favoured with a visit from Sir George Seel, K.C.M.G., Senior Crown Agent and Mr. R. W. Taylor, C.M.G., Engineer-in-Chief and Engineering Adviser to the Secretary of State.
16. Another visitor from the Crown Agents was Mr. P. H. Pearce, A.M.I.E.E., Inspecting Engineer.
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17. Mr. V. A. M. Robertson of Sir William Halcrow & Sons, Consulting Engineers, spent a fortnight in the Colony in January gathering material for a report on the desirability of shifting the Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminal from its present site at Tsim Sha Tsui to the northern end of the Hung Hom reclamation. Mr. G. A. R. Sheppard of Messrs. Binnie, Deacon & Gourley visited in November for consultations on the investigation of foundation conditions for the proposed Shek Pik Dam on Lantao Island. In January Mr. Henry Grace of Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners made a routine visit to view progress on the new Kai Tak Airport project.
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
Chief Architect, G. P. Norton, A.R.I.B.A.
Assistant Chief Architects, J. C. Charter, A.R.I.B.A.
J. T. Mallorie, A.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I.
GENERAL
18. The staff of the Architectural Office increased during the year to 211 and a large proportion of this number worked on three major projects-the New Kowloon General Hospital, the Castle Peak Hospital and the City Hall. These, together with the routine work of maintenance and of advising the Director of Education on work for Grant-in-Aid and Subsidized Schools reduced the number of staff available for other new works, for many of which private architects were appointed.
19. The annual Minor Works Contract, based on Schedule Rates was not renewed as it proved to be better to let small individual contracts. New works of an urgent nature were carried out under the Maintenance Contract.
20. Expenditure on new works was approximately $34,700,000 including $15 million on Resettlement Estates. Approximately $5,600,000 was spent on maintenance, alterations and additions to existing buildings.
'Star' Ferry Concourse
21. The first portion of the covered ways adjacent to the ferry pier was completed under the Maintenance Contract in April and a further contract for the extension of this covered way to Connaught Road was let and the work completed in December prior to the opening of the new pier.
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22. A scheme was prepared in collaboration with the Roads Office for a pedestrian tunnel under Connaught Road Central to connect with the covered way.
Three Tiered Car Parks
23. The first three tiered car park building adjacent to the 'Star' Ferry Pier was completed and opened in December. Work commenced on a second car park on a site adjacent to the proposed City Hall in November and at the end of the year neared completion.
City Hall
24. After completion of the drawings for the concourse and the two three tiered car parks, work on the City Hall drawings was resumed and considerable progress made.
25. The consultant on acoustics (Mr. Hugh Creighton, A.R.I.B.A.) approved the final shape and volume of both the theatre and concert hall together with all floor, wall and ceiling finishes.
The stage equipment and lighting schemes and the sound amplification requirements were examined and the necessary provisions made for these in the plans.
27. By the end of the year the basic structural designs of the theatre and high block had been completed.
OFFICE BUILDINGS
Central Government Offices
28. Work on the West Wing began in March and continued through- out the year although the heavy rains in May delayed work.
District Branch Office, Farm Road, Kowloon
29. This building, originally called 'P.W.D. Office and Depot, Kowloon', has been fully described in previous reports.
30. The building was completed in July, followed shortly after- wards by the opening of a Post Office and Registry for Births and Deaths on the ground floor. Offices on the upper floors are occupied by branches of the Urban Services Department, the Medical Depart- ment and the Roads Office, Buildings Ordinance Office, Drainage Office and Crown Lands & Surveys Office of the Public Works Department.
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New Government Offices, Caroline Hill
31. The original project to provide only offices, workshops and quarters for the Electrical and Mechanical Sub-department of the P.W.D. had to be abandoned after working drawings were well advanced.
32. Preliminary sketch plans were prepared for a building to house the Electrical and Mechanical Department, a Roads Office Depot, a Drainage Office Depot and to provide a ten-storey block of offices for various Government departments.
District Branch Office, Yuen Long
33. Sketch plans for this scheme were well advanced by the end of the year. The proposal is to build five buildings on a filled site on the west side of Yuen Long.
34. One building will accommodate on the ground floor a Post Office and branch Treasury, stores for Waterworks and New Territories Administration, and on the first floor offices for New Territories Administration, Education Department, Births and Deaths Registry. Medical Department and a Court Room.
35. The second building will have a clinic on the ground floor with three consulting rooms, dental surgery, dispensary, casualty ward and waiting rooms; on the first floor a maternity ward and ancillary rooms and accommodation for nine nurses and one sister will be provided.
36. The remaining three blocks will consist of quarters of varying grades having accommodation for both married and single officers.
BUILDINGS FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Technical College
37. The workshop and classroom block is fully described in the 1955/56 Report. Construction of this part of the project began in February 1956. On 2nd December H. E. the Governor opened the College.
38. The scheme for Keswick Hall was developed. The accommoda- tion includes a main entrance foyer with a staff room above, a multi- purpose auditorium to seat approximately 725 persons, a dining hall and kitchen. Provision has been made for the addition of students common rooms and enlarging the dining hall. Tenders for the building
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contract were called in February just prior to the completion of the piling contract.
Primary Schools
39. Last year's report described the plans adopted for a standard twenty-four classroom primary school. Sites suitable for three such schools became available; the first standard school, in Fuk Wing Street, was completed in December and the second, in the Li Cheng Uk Resettlement Estate, neared completion at the end of the year. The third site, at Cheong Hong Street, required formation and site works commenced in March.
Northcote Training College
40. Sketch plans commenced for new buildings at Pok Fu Lam to replace the existing college in Bonham Road.
41. The accommodation is grouped in three buildings which provide facilities for training four hundred teachers with a hostel for two hundred.
42. The main building includes administrative office, staff rooms, teaching and lecture rooms for general and special subjects such as woodwork, handicraft, pottery, domestic science, nature study, music and art. A library and reading room are also included. The second block includes an assembly hall to seat 600 parsons and a gymnasium (both served by adjacent changing rooms) together with a kitchen and a dining room to seat 250.
43.
The hostel block includes students, common rooms, rooms for male and female students, four flats for wardens and accommodation for menial staff.
King's College Extension
44. A scheme was prepared to provide seven additional classrooms, an art room, geography room, three laboratories, library and other minor accommodation.
San Hui Market
NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION
45.
The market itself had been completed in January and on com- pletion of the paving of the surrounding area and the water supply the building was handed over in September.
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Scavenging in the New Territories
46. The project consists of thirteen village depots, three ranges of compost tanks and five incinerators. The accommodation in the depots, which vary from village to village, includes garages, yards, handcart storage, stores, offices and quarters.
47. By the end of the year two incinerators had been built, schemes for two compost tanks prepared and three of the village sites surveyed.
Latrine and Bath-house, Tsuen Wan
48. Sketch plans were prepared for a latrine and bath-house at Tsuen Wan using the standard plan adopted for the urban areas.
Additions to the Temporary Headquarters at Gascoigne Road
49. The extension of the existing offices was completed in December.
FIRE BRIGADE
Fire Stations at Yuen Long, North Point, Ma Tau Chung and
Tsuen Wan
50. The scheme to erect standard three-bay fire stations on these four sites is fully described in last year's report. Contracts for all four commenced during the year. The station at North Point was completed in March and the other three approached completion at the end of the year.
Fire Stations at Peng Chau, Cheung Chau and San Hui
51. Sketch plans were prepared and approved for smaller fire stations in these three places; each scheme includes an appliance room, a watch room, and quarters.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
Kowloon General Hospital and Quarters
52. This scheme is being developed in three parts, first the Sisters' and Nurses' Quarters and Training School followed by the Main Hospital building and, thirdly, the remaining staff accommodation.
53. By the end of the year a piling contract for the Sisters' and Nurses' Quarters had been let and drawings and bills of quantities for the superstructure were well advanced.
54. For the hospital building the approved sketch plans had been developed to a larger scale and working drawings were sufficiently
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advanced for work on the detailed structural design to begin. Pre- liminary schemes were received for the medical gas installation, for the kitchen equipment and the laundry equipment. A firm of consulting engineers commenced the design of the steam pipe work. Preliminary work started on the site, raising the level, moving an existing water main and culverting a nullah, and work commenced on the demolition of existing buildings and levelling the site to prepare for piling.
Castle Peak Hospital
55. By the end of the year a contract for piling had been let, architectural and structural drawings approached completion and bills of quantities were being prepared.
Shek Kip Mei Polyclinic
56. This general maternity and chest clinic was completed in November.
Alterations to Kowloon Chest Clinic
57.
Alterations to this chest clinic were carried out between December and March. The work consisted of enlarging the waiting room and film store and building a new dispensary and X-ray room.
New Ward Block, Kowloon Hospital
58. A new two-storey ward block at the existing Kowloon Hospital was completed in October. The accommodation provided a general ward of thirty-six beds in six bays on the ground floor and six four-bed wards on the first floor together with all ancillary rooms, such as lavatories and duty rooms.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Western Police Station-Married Officers' Quarters
59. This building containing sixteen three or four roomed flats was handed over in May. Its construction completed the scheme for the replacement of the old Western Police Station, the new police station and a block containing 112 rank and file married quarters having been completed previously.
Rank and File Quarters, Arsenal Yard
60. This scheme, the second stage of building on the Arsenal Yard site, is fully described in the 1955/56 Report.
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61. Construction of this block containing a twelve-classroom school on the ground floor and three hundred rank and file married quarters on the ten upper floors was commenced in December 1956 and com- pleted in December 1957.
Tsuen Wan Police Station, Barrack Huts
62. The construction of two timber huts providing barrack accom- modation commenced at the beginning of the year and had been completed three months later.
Kowloon Police Headquarters, Barrack Huts
63. The construction of two timber huts providing barrack accom- modation commenced in July and was completed in November.
Tsuen Wan Divisional Police Station and Quarters
64. This project is for a Divisional Police Station on a site at the junction of the Castle Peak and Shing Mun Roads.
65. The accommodation is very similar to that provided in the existing Kowloon City Police Station and the plans follow this station as far as possible. The accommodation in the main building includes a charge room, cells, offices, and barrack quarters for 184 policemen, a large drill compound and a block of garages and a block containing four married officers' quarters.
66. The Roads Office let a contract and raised the level of the site some fifteen feet in accordance with approved Town Planning levels and piling for the foundations had been completed by the end of the year when tenders were called for the superstructure.
Cheung Sha Wan Rank and File Police Quarters
67. This project contains eight hundred and twenty six married quarters for Police Rank & File and a standard twenty-four classroom primary school.
68. The quarters are planned in five connected blocks eleven storeys high. Staircase access is provided to the individual flats with a connect- ing covered way at ground floor level and a connecting access verandah served by lifts at seventh floor level.
Volunteer Slopes Camp, Fan Ling
69. Alterations to this ex-army camp of Nissen huts, including electrical wiring, fencing, alterations to the kitchens and provision of an armoury, were completed in February.
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Firing Range at San Uk Ling
70. This range was completed in May. The work included the con- struction of a revolver and rifle range with all necessary firing points, shelters and butts.
Sheung Shui Post Office
POST OFFICE
71. Sketch plans and working drawings were prepared for a post office accommodating a public hall and counter, sorting office, post office boxes, and ancillary accommodation on the ground floor with one three-roomed flat and a barrack room on the first floor.
Sheung Wan Post Office
72. The ground floor of the New Telephone Company building has been fitted up as a Post Office. The work included the installation of counters, partitions and light fittings.
Shau Kei Wan Post Office
73. The ground floor of a private building at the junction of Shau Kei Wan Road and Nam On Lane has been fitted out as a Post Office, the work being completed in September.
Maryknoll Quarters
PRISONS DEPARTMENT
74. Work on this scheme, described in last year's Report, began in September 1956 and was completed in May.
Victoria Prison Quarters
75. This scheme is also described in last year's Report. A contract for the demolition of the existing buildings and site formation com- menced in March.
H.M. Prison, Chi Ma Wan
76. The Home for Disabled Destitutes was converted into a prison for six hundred short-term prisoners. The work included alterations to the kitchens and dormitories, additional site drainage, the conversion of a hut into a sick bay, the paving of some paths and the building of a rice store.
77. A scheme was prepared for extensive rewiring required to enable electricity received from China Light & Power Company's mains to be distributed throughout the camp.
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78. Sketch plans were prepared for the erection of a pair of semi- detached houses similar to the Maryknoll quarters recently built at Stanley.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
P.W.D. Depots and Quarters
79. Working drawings commenced for two Roads Office depots; one on the Shek O Road included an office, store and ten quarters in a single-storey building; the second, adjacent to the Sai Wan Rapid Gravity Filters, included a store and eleven quarters in three storeys on a restricted site. The second scheme has been delayed because of a shortage of structural engineers.
Showers for Hok Un Quarry
80. Sketch plans were prepared for a building with showers and changing facilities for the workers at the quarry.
RESETTLEMENT DEPARTMENT
Shek Kip Mei, Stage II (Redevelopment)
81. The last of the six blocks in the contract, containing some 420 domestic rooms, was completed early in the year.
Shek Kip Mei, Stage III (Redevelopment)
82. A contract for the demolition of twenty six bungalows com- menced in April and was completed in December.
83. A further contract for the demolition of seventeen bungalows, together with the construction of nine blocks of resettlement flats started in June. By the end of the year six blocks of flats had been completed providing some 2,492 domestic rooms.
Lo Fu Ngam
84. Construction of this estate of six blocks of flats, containing 1,089 domestic rooms and commenced the previous year, was completed. The scheme had been delayed because of rock obstructing site formation.
Cheung Sha Wan Flatted Factory
85. A contract for the superstructure was let in June and completed in September. The building is of five storeys and provides a total of 470 working units of 198 square feet (ninety four units per floor). A roof area of some 15,528 square feet is available for letting out as
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drying space. The floors are connected by six staircases and two ramps. Communal male and female lavatories and wash rooms are provided on each floor.
Jordan Valley
86. A scheme was prepared for the development of Jordan Valley as a resettlement estate, containing nine blocks of resettlement flats providing some 2,996 domestic rooms and one flatted factory block of 275 working units. By the end of the year Drainage Office work in training the River Jordan to a new nullah approached completion. Working drawings for site formation and building contracts commenced.
Kwun Tong
87. A scheme was prepared for the construction of a resettlement estate in a valley to the north of the Kwun Tong Reclamation. The estate is to contain twenty six blocks of resettlement flats providing a total of some 11,885 domestic rooms.
Chai Wan
88. A scheme was prepared for the development of an estate containing eight blocks of resettlement flats providing a total of 4,235 domestic rooms and two flatted factory blocks with a total of 660 working units. By the end of the year the site survey of the area had been completed.
89. Preliminary drawings for the first stage, containing two blocks of flats providing a total of 1,176 domestic rooms and one flatted factory block of 330 working units have been completed.
Wong Tai Sin (Areas A & B)
90. Phase I. A contract let in July for the construction of nine blocks of resettlement flats was later extended by a further two blocks of resettlement flats and one block of self-contained flats.
91. By the end of the year four blocks of resettlement flats contain- ing some 2,116 domestic rooms and one block of 103 self-contained flats had been completed.
92.
Phase II. A contract for the construction of five blocks of resettlement flats commenced in December 1957. By the end of the year one block containing some 588 domestic rooms had been completed.
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STORES DEPARTMENT
Reprovisioning of Government Stores, North Point
93. The original scheme to construct a two-storey extension to the furniture workshop and a block of four floors of stores with a fifth floor of offices above was abandoned after working drawings had been completed.
94. Revised plans for a ten-storey building were prepared and building work started in March. The ground floor is to be open storage, the first and second floors furniture workshops, the third to seventh floors stores, the eighth floor air-conditioned offices and the ninth floor canteen and plant rooms. The total floor area is 117,000 square feet. Also included in the scheme is a separate dangerous goods store and a salt water flushing and fire-fighting system to serve the whole of the Stores compound. The Medical Stores will be air-conditioned to prevent the deterioration of drugs.
Kansu Street Market
URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
95. This building, described last year, was finished in September with the exception of the cold store.
Crematorium
96. Sketch plans for a new Crematorium at Chai Wan were prepared and approved by the Urban Council. The scheme includes a Christian chapel with seating for eighty, a Chinese Farewell Pavilion and an Indian Pavilion on a sloping site near Tai Tam Gap. Quarters for staff are to be provided in a separate building.
Latrines and Bath-houses
97. Work on this programme continued during the year. A latrine and bath-house at Nelson Street was finished in April, another at Portland Street also in April, another at Kowloon City Road/Ma Tau Kok Road in June and a fourth at Ap Lei Chau in March.
98. A contract commenced in December for the erection of a latrine only at the Kowloon City Ferry Concourse.
99. At the end of the year contracts were being prepared for a latrine at the 'Star' Ferry Concourse, Kowloon, and for latrine/bath- houses in Main Street, Shau Kei Wan and Market Street, Kowloon.
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t
100.
Sketch plans have been completed for latrine/bath-houses at Yen Chow Street, Yim Po Fong Street and Kwun Chung Street.
Parks and Playgrounds
101. Blake Gardens. The reinstatement of this old playground was finished in February. The work had been made difficult by the building debris which had been dumped on the site and the unsatisfactory nature of the subsoil. The scheme provides mini-football pitches, volley-ball courts, a basket-ball court a children's playground and a rest garden.
102. Cornwall Street. A contract was let in February for the erection of a pavilion with lavatories and the provision of playground equip-
ment.
103. Shek Kip Mei, Tai Hang Tung and Li Cheng Uk Resettlement Estates. A contract was let in March for the erection of fencing and playground equipment on one playground in each estate.
104. Cheung Sha Wan Road/Tai Po Road Junction. A shelter, fencing and playground equipment were erected under the Maintenance Contract.
105. Sai Yee Street. A small children's playground with a pavilion and playground equipment was completed in January.
106. Argyle Street Playground. Drawings have been completed for a scheme including pavilion, lavatories, fencing, playground equipment and sport pitches.
107. Fa Hui Playground. After surveying the site sketch plans were commenced for a large playground with football, basket-ball and volley-ball pitches, a changing room for a children's playground, a three storeyed pavilion, and site formation for a rest park.
MISCELLANEOUS
Maintenance of Government Buildings
108. The cost of the routine maintenance work on 212 Government and Government leased properties amounted to $4,229,793.00. Some of the major items on the programme were Queen's College, G.P.O. Building, Police Headquarters and Marine Harbour Station, Stanley Prison local staff quarters, Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, Kowloon Hospital and Sai Ying Pun Hospital.
109. Some newly constructed buildings, mainly schools, were also accepted as maintenance commitments on expiry of the building con- tractor's maintenance period.
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110. A programme of re-wiring and re-decoration began at Queen Mary Hospital where the sixth and seventh floors were completed and a start made on the fifth floor. As each ward is completed, it will have its own distinctive and pleasing colour scheme.
Alterations, Additions and Improvements
111. Two hundred and twenty three works costing $571,851 were approved.
112. The major items under this category included a Dental Clinic at Central Police Station, alterations to the Technical School in Wan Chai, a bore-hole well to Kowloon City Bath-house, covered way at Kai Tak Airport, and security lighting at Stanley Prison.
113. White ant inspections were carried out on 207 buildings, an increase of twenty four over the previous year.
Typhoon and Rainstorm Damage
114. Exceptionally heavy rains and two typhoons caused 'consider- able damage to buildings and earth embankments adjacent to Govern- ment buildings and $604,356 had to be spent to make good the damage.
115. Routine maintenance was carried out on lighthouses, cemeteries and approach roads to Government buildings. Numerous other small works were completed with funds provided by other departments.
Works carried out for Government Departments by Private Architects 116. Architects in private practice have been appointed for the following projects:
Education Department:
Tại Hang Tung School Jordan Road School
Shau Kei Wan School Hung Hom School ...
Eastern Hospital Road School Caine Road School Canton Road School
Medical Department:
Sai Ying Pun Clinic
Kowloon Mortuary Tai Po Health Centre
Mr. W. Szeto Mr. N. J. Chien Mr. H. S. Luke Messrs. Chau & Lee
Mr. Y. C. Yuen Mr. G. D. Su
Mr. W. H. Kwan
Messrs. Spence, Robinson &
Partners
Messrs. Chau & Lee
Messrs. Spence, Robinson &
Partners
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Judiciary:
Magistrates Courts at Causeway Bay, Sai Ying Pun, North Kowloon and New Territories ...
Police:
Inspectorate Quarters
Silvermine Bay Police Post
Messrs. Palmer & Turner
Messrs. Spence, Robinson &
Partners
Mr. W. H. Kwan
Urban Services Department:
Abattoir
Messrs. Hal Williams & Co.
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
Chief Building Surveyor, R. Fairbairn, A.R.I.C.S.
Assistant Chief Building Surveyors, P. V. Shawe, A.R.I.C.S.
G. Thomson, A.R.I.B.A.
117. The year saw a continuation of the upward trend in the volume of private building works which have been increasing steadily over the previous five years. Buildings erected for domestic use still dominated the scene, but as will be seen from the statistics other buildings were erected for a wide variety of uses. It is estimated that the value of private building works carried out during the year amounted to the record figure of $175,000,000, to which figure should be added the heavy expenditure by Government in schools, resettlement, police quarters and office buildings.
Domestic Buildings
118. A welcome development was the submission and approval of several private housing schemes to be built in Kowloon, each as separate estates of quite considerable areas. In this way the provisions of the Buildings Ordinance, 1955, were used to best advantage, one of the chief points being that the required amount of open space could in many cases be so arranged to provide 'off the street' playing grounds for the children of the tenants. Nearly all these schemes consisted of small self-contained flats, each unit having one room as living space with kitchen and bathroom or W.C. attached. It is interesting to note that developers of this type of accommodation rarely provided lifts unless the building exceeded seven or eight storeys in height, since the demand for these units was such that prospective owners or tenants were willing to walk up to the top floors.
119. High density development was most marked in the Causeway Bay/North Point areas and this resulted in the rapid transformation of
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the skyline in these areas. Similar but less intensive development took place at mid-levels West of Glenealy, where many old buildings were demolished to make way for new. Parts of Kowloon followed the same pattern, particularly along both sides of Nathan Road. The erection of tall buildings inevitably means expensive foundations. In many cases, these buildings were designed in accordance with the latest codes which permitted reduced loadings and higher stresses in steel and concrete, and in one or two projects structural steel was used, all of which tended to reduce the total weight of the building and consequently foundation costs.
Non-domestic buildings
120. The number of completed factories and workshops, office buildings and schools remained high and accounted for most of the buildings grouped under this heading. In the city area a number of new buildings were completed, while few more of the old ones were scheduled for demolition.
121. Development of the new industrial town at Kwun Tong com- menced in earnest. Plans were submitted for thirty one multi-storeyed factory buildings, one large low cost housing scheme, one block of workers' quarters and one petrol filling station.
Dangerous Buildings
122. As a result of fires and collapses a number of buildings were rendered dangerous to such an extent that eight were closed by means of a Closure Order obtained from a Magistrate. Six were dealt with by the Building Authority and two by the owners of the buildings.
Inspection on behalf of other Government departments
123. As a result of the enactment at the end of the year of legisla- tion in connexion with the Education Ordinance, 1952, inspections were carried out on behalf of the Education Department with regard to the structural stability of buildings used for schools but not designed and constructed as such.
Structural frameworks
124. Due to the higher incidence of multi-storey buildings and improved designs, greater regard to the quality of workmanship on
18
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reinforced concrete structures was essential in the interests of public safety.
125. Contractors generally co-operated well and a marked improve- ment in the technique and quality of work resulted. It is hoped that this improvement will be maintained and that a further concerted attempt by all concerned will be made to achieve even better quality workmanship.
126. Considerable relaxation was granted to permit the use of higher stresses in piling and the component parts of the structure, but full relaxation to the limits of the latest Codes of Practice has of necessity to be closely related to the quality of workmanship.
127. Continued emphasis was placed on the correct positioning of steel reinforcement and the grading of aggregate. To some extent the placing of wet concrete and its compaction left room for improvement in many works.
128. The tendency to build very high structures necessitated closer investigation into the effects of wind on such structures and the effects due to column moments.
129. The figures set out below give further information on the work of the office in its various functions.
130. 1,277 new buildings were completed, of which 860 were for domestic use.
131. In all 5,059 approvals were issued for plans in respect of 8,128 buildings, of which details are set out below:
Domestic Buildings :
103 plans for 254 European type houses
330
??
2
108
34
"
2
*
1
6
71
785 Chinese type houses
8 Blocks of tenement buildings for a housing scheme 116 Apartment buildings
69 Blocks of flats
2 Staff quarters
1 Hostel
6 Hotels
Non-domestic Buildings :
72 plans for 75 Factories and workshops
27 Godowns and stores
27
"
**
23
"
23 Schools
"
19
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19
4 plans for
52
2
27
"
**
**
4 Garages
**
52 Bathing sheds
2 Chapels
27 Office buildings
63 Site formations
1 Public mortuary
1 Bus Depot
1 Tea house
1 Rotary Youth Leaders' Training Centre
1 Clinic
5 Service Stations
1 Restaurant
2 Sub-stations
63
**
1
"
1
1
*
}
1
5
1
་་
**
2
**
**
57
24
"
831
99
"
900
**
"
985
915
478
49
954 Buildings for demolition
"
57 Minor non-domestic buildings
25 Buildings for repairs
942 Buildings for alterations and additions
1,255 Buildings-Amended plans
1,777 Buildings-to carry out reinforced concrete and
piling works
1,591 Buildings-to instal water closets, drainage water
tanks, etc.
4
132. Occupation Certificates were issued for seven Housing Schemes, twenty nine Apartment buildings, 121 European type, 702 Chinese type and 417 non-domestic buildings.
133. Legal notices issued comprised 248 for dangerous buildings and 373 for removal of illegal structures and abatement of drainage nuisances.
134. 635 drain tests were carried out in various districts. In addition to the inspection of works for which plans were approved, 720 inspections of licenced premises were made on behalf of other Govern- ment departments.
135. Eighty six building collapses, forty landslides, twenty one emergency shorings and ten fires received necessary attention.
136. 583 Registration Certificates in respect of registered contractors were renewed and eighty one new contractors were registered.
20
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Revenue
CROWN LANDS & SURVEYS OFFICE
Superintendent of Crown Lands & Surveys, J. E. Richardson, F.R.I.C.S. Assistant Superintendent, Surveys, C. S. Barron, M.B.E.
Assistant Superintendent, Planning, R. H. Hughes, M.A. (Cantab.), A.R.I.C.S. Assistant Superintendent, Crown Lands, R. C. Clarke, B. Eng. (Min.), LL.B. (Lond.), D.P.A. (Lond.), A.M.I.Min.E., A.R.I.C.S.
GENERAL
137. The total revenue collected compared with the previous year was as under: (These figures do not include receipts in respect of sales at Kwun Tong which are referred to later in this report).
1957/58
Staff
1956/57
Premia in land sales, etc.
$14,077,561.60
$23,779,973.86
Boundary Stones & Survey Fees ...
11,723.12
54,201.94
Permit Fees
..
2,899,519.17
2,835,219.49
Plans sold to the public
4,704.00
5,244.70
$16,993,507.89
$26,674,639.99
138. The total authorized establishment at the beginning of the year was 323, an increase of 107 over the previous year; these figures do not include the New Territories Cadastral Survey establishment of 143.
139. Recruitment of staff to fill these new posts and existing vacancies continued to be difficult, particularly on the land survey side.
Kowloon Branch Office
140. In October the Kowloon section of the Lands Division moved to new accommodation at the Government Branch Offices at Farm Road, Kowloon. All lands division routine work (other than lease renewals and modifications) for Kowloon and New Kowloon was handled in this office, although control remained in the Central Government Offices on the Island.
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LAND
141. The development and redevelopment of land continued with ever increasing tempo throughout the year. Auction sales of Crown land drew the usual large crowds, and the new practice of selling sites in accordance with a planned development scheme without awaiting a specific application enabled an increased sales programme to be carried out. A noticeable increase of interest was exhibited in the redevelop- ment of leased land.
142. The revenue from urban land transactions at $26,340,000 was an all time record.
Auction Sales
143. (i) Industry. Kwun Tong again made the greatest contribution to new industrial sites, a total of thirty lots comprising just over 1,000,000 sq. ft. being sold during the year. The upset price continued at $5 per sq. ft., but realized prices were generally well above this figure, rising in some cases to more than $20 per sq. ft. The practice of allowing payment by instalments over eighteen years in respect of these lots continued, and all purchasers availed themselves of the opportunity to pay in this way.
144. With a view to providing for the needs of the smaller indus- trialist requiring only a few thousand sq. ft. of floor area, two sites totalling 53,000 sq. ft. were sold at Kwun Tong restricted specifically to the erection of buildings not less than five storeys in height to be let out in floors or parts of floors, no one industrialist (including the purchaser) being allowed to occupy more than one floor.
145. Six other sites, five on the island and one in Kowloon, were sold for industrial purposes, one such site realizing almost $60 per sq. ft.
146. (ii) Non-Industrial. Thirteen sites were sold for housing, including three at Kwun Tong New Town. A few lots restricted to certain special purposes were also sold at auction e.g. school sites, a funeral parlour and a car park.
Private Treaty Grants
147. Sixty one lots were granted by private treaty of which eighteen were free of premium. More than half of these were in respect of local officers' housing co-operatives, the remainder being for educational (18), religious (1) or welfare purposes (2).
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Modifications of Lease Conditions
148. The standard density zoning schedules which were drawn up a year ago proved generally acceptable to lessees and many redevelop- ment schemes of existing lots involving the modification of the lease conditions were examined. Negotiations were completed and premium paid in respect of twenty six such schemes during the year.
Lease Enforcement
149. The new section of the lands division set up to deal with the enforcement of lease conditions carried out inspections of a large number of properties in the latter part of the year. First priority was given to the inspection of sites granted by private treaty in recent years for housing schemes; as a result premium was collected for the removal of restrictions in respect of sixty such sites.
150. The steps to be taken to protect the better housing areas particularly on the mainland from the encroachment of industrial and commercial user were considered in detail during the year, but no decision was taken.
Lease Renewals
151. Systematic progress was maintained in dealing with grants of new leases for seventy-five year 'non-renewable' leases and 151 cases were completed, all but two being in respect of lots in Kowloon. The revenue collected amounted to just over $2 million, but this did not indicate the full value of the negotiations completed, since the majority of lessees availed themselves of the option to pay the renewal premium by instalments over the full period of the new lease-usually exceeding seventy five years. The greater part of this sum of $2 million will there- fore continue to be payable yearly throughout the next seventy five
years.
Land for Government and Government sponsored projects
152. Much of the efforts of the lands division continued to be directed towards the selection, clearance and preparation of develop- ment conditions for sites for various Government projects, in particular schools and recreational areas.
153. Reservations to meet the Resettlement and Medical Depart- ments' programmes were completed and several sites were provisionally set aside for the Housing Society and Housing Authority.
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Statistics
154. (i) Revenue. Details of the premia derived from land transac- tions in the Urban area (excluding Kwun Tong) compared with the previous year are as follows:
(1) Sales by Auction:
Island
Kowloon
New Kowloon
(2) Sales without Auction:
Island
Kowloon
1956/57
1957/58
$ 4,900,889.75 4,883,000.00
$ 2,122,815.00
1,444,500.00 195,500.00
5,513,510.00
1,609,307.00
817,125.00
1,560,938.00
New Kowloon
180,700.00
1,178,000.00
(3) Exchange & Extensions :
Island
1,261,657.56
704,276.21
Kowloon
534,196.75
1,229,021.25
New Kowloon
677,624.25
231,145.12
(4) Modifications of Lease
Conditions:
Island
1,534,086.05
Kowloon
24,679.50
838,733.00
New Kowloon
5,471.32
3,024,091.99
(5) Renewal of Crown Leases :
Island
74,965.29
56,508.04
Kowloon
1,224,816.93
2,029,977.45
New Kowloon
$14,077,561.60
$23,779,973.86
155. (ii) Land Transactions. A summary of the various categories of land transactions (excluding Kwun Tong) is given below:
Hong Kong
Kowloon
New Kowloon
Total No. of cases
(1) Land Sale by Auction:
Non-industrial (including residential) School sites
3
10
Industrial
5
1
Car Park
1
1
1
Funeral Parlour
(2) Private Grants (18 free Grants):
Local Officers Housing
Low Cost Housing
Staff Quarters
Church
School
School & Church
School & Fish Depot
Welfare Centre
Youth Training Centre
24
(Cadogan Street)
1
1
21
16
11
38
1
1
112-111
Digitized by
1
15
2
1
Kong
Kowloon
Hong
New Kowloon
Total No.
of cases
(3) Exchanges & Extensions:
Exchanges
Extensions
Excess Area
297
12
5
3
20
6
2
17
17
2
19
(4) Modification & Removal of
20 Years Restrictions:
Modifications
7
9
Removal of 20 Years Restrictions
14
(5) Renewal of Crown Leases:
Renewals
2
149
10
46
1914343
26
60
20
151
156. (iii) Kwun Tong. Details of the lots sold to date at Kwun Tong New Town are given below:
No. of Lots Sold
During
Description
Area in sq. ft.
To date
Amount of Premium realized
1957/58
79
30
Industrial
1,657,180
2
Flatted Factory ..
53,000
$22,986,400.00
543,000.00
1
1
3
3
Filling Station Housing..
4,000
48,000.00
15,700
429,500.00
Total .. 85
36
1,729,880
$24,006,900.00*
* Note: Actual amount received 1956/57 ..
Actual amount received 1957/58
Total amount received
$ 455,934.00
2,511,791.64
$2,967,725.64
Permits
157. Crown Land Permits are granted under the authority of, and at the fees laid down, in the Summary (Licences & Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1956. Such permits are issued for a great variety of purposes and provide for the temporary occupation of Crown land pending its permanent development.
158. It was necessary to cancel a number of these permits and clear the areas to make way for multi-storey buildings. Despite this however, the revenue for this source and the total number of permits in existence changed very little during the year.
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From 1946
to 31.3.58
Description of Permits
During 1957/58
From 1946
to 31.3.58
During 1957/58
Details of such permits are as follows:
No. of Permits
Issued
No. of Permits
cancelled
No. of Permits in force
No. of Permits Amended
No. of Demand
Notes issued
General Permits...
11,353
536 5,337 640 6,016) 8597,261
Pier Permits
96
8: 50
2
46
Free Permits for Public
Utility...
184
26
26
13
0 171
0
Total
Permit Fees
Actual Amout collected
for both
Old and New Permits
Annual Fees derived from New Permits
only
$2,694,569.20
$398,764.00
excluding
refunds
10,652.79
58
140,650.29
57.849.44
11,633
570 5,400 642 6,233
859 7,319
$2,835,219.49
$456,613.44
Note:
The number of general permits issued includes one encroachment permit issued to the Royal
Air Force at a nominal fee of $1.00 p.a.
Valuation & Resumption
159. Valuations were made for the following purposes: Resumptions under the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance (Cap. 124); Surrenders for Street and other improvements; Renewal of Crown Leases; Sale and Purchase of land and buildings by Government; Town Planning; Extensions to existing lots; Removal of Restrictive Covenants, etc.
160. In addition all hereditaments falling to be assessed for Estate Duty purposes were valued by this section amounting in all to $34,399,147 and assistance in valuation matters was given to other Government Departments.
161. 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 be convened for other resumptions gazetted during the year.
162. Preparatory work commenced in respect of compensation to be paid to lessees detrimentally affected by the Hong Kong Airport
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(Control of Obstructions) Order, 1957, the plan relating thereto having been prepared in collaboration with the Department of Civil Aviation.
PLANNING
163. The urban area is divided into thirty seven planning districts and by the end of the year outline development plans were in various stages of preparation for twenty seven of these and for ten districts in the New Territories. In addition, layout plans were in preparation or completed for various subdivisions of the planning districts.
164. Outline Development Plans of Ma Tau Kok, Hung Hom and Chai Wan Districts were approved in accordance with the Town Planning Ordinance together with an amended plan of the North Point district. A Layout Plan of Kwun Tong Tsai Wan was prepared for the Town Planning Board and exhibited to the public.
165. The service for the supply of plans for official purposes continued to expand, and 2,330 plans and thirty six tracings were pre- pared compared with 1,585 plans and thirty tracings in 1956. A revised schedule of plans obtainable was circulated to Government Departments and Public Utility Companies. Five approved plans were printed by the Government Printer for sale.
166. In the previous year preliminary investigation of sites for new towns and connecting roads was carried out and the major problems were isolated. In the year under review there was no staff available to carry out the engineering appreciation necessary to decide whether or not these schemes were feasible, so consulting engineers were engaged to prepare reports on the possibility of major reclamation and hill formation schemes at Tai Po, Gin Drinker's Bay, Junk Bay, Sha Tin, and Castle Peak, and on main roads over Leadmine Pass and Kowloon Foothills. Consultants were also retained to plan a second cross-harbour vehicular ferry route and a new site for the Kowloon Canton Railway Station.
167. Agreement was reached with the War Department that the sites of Murray Barracks and Parade Ground and the Detention Barracks should be surrendered to the Hong Kong Government, and the Admiralty announced its intention of surrendering, inter alia, part of the Naval Yard. This together with the proposal to proceed with three more stages of the Central Reclamation opened the way for a major development scheme for the Central District. Preliminary plan- ning of this was commenced.
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168. The need for an expert review of the Colony's road system became apparent during the year, and it was decided to consult a United Kingdom expert on Traffic Engineering. As a preliminary to his visit the Roads Office prepared a tentative outline scheme of road improvements and $5 million was allocated for the acquisition of land for the purpose, a small committee being formed to advise on its detailed allocation. The Planning Division collaborated in this work.
169. In a year of record expenditure on public works and record activity in private development, the Planning Division was committed over a wide field. In addition to the items already referred to, the following matters were dealt with, either by preparation of plans or by general planning review and consultation:
Kwun Tong new Town-Housing Zones and commercial centre Kowloon Foothills Road Scheme and associated developments
Clearwater Bay Road Scheme
Clearwater Bay Road Housing Scheme (for Hong Kong Housing Authority) Potential Housing Areas (for Special Committee on Housing)
Sassoon Road-District Layout
Staunton Creek-Interim District Layout
Water Street Improvement Scheme
Des Voeux Road Improvement Scheme
Tung Lo Wan Road District Development Waterfront Promenade
Playgrounds, Parks and sundry open spaces Cross-harbour communications
Sites for New Towns
Tsuen Wan Development
Cheung Sha Wan Development
Quarry Bay Development
Hung Hom Bay Reclamation
Chuk Yuen (Fung Wong Village) Layout
170. A short ordinance was passed, the Town Planning (Amend- ment) Ordinance, 1958, to enable small amendments to a plan to be made without the preparation of a completely new plan.
SURVEY
171. During the year the system of colony control points was extended by the laying down of a further 341 permanent survey marks which involved fifteen miles of main and minor traversing.
172. The precise levelling circruit in the New Territories which runs from Kowloon via Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fan Ling, Yuen Long, Castle Peak, Tsuen Wan back to Kowloon was nearing completion. Ninety eight new bench marks were fixed.
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173. Surveys were made for lease plans for 595 lots and for sur- render plans for 345 lots. Some 294 lots covering an area of 126 acres were set out for development purposes, and boundary stones were fixed on 329 lots.
174. The large scale survey completed 789 acres, mainly of the highly developed areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon and fourteen sheets at a scale of 50 feet to 1 inch were produced. A total of fifty three sheets of this series are now available. Compilation from these sheets of new 200 feet to 1 inch sheets commenced and three sheets were completed.
175. Contour surveys covering a total area of 2,671 acres were made for planning purposes, this being done mainly by probationers under training.
176. The following miscellaneous work was carried out:
(a) For road widening and rebuilding schemes six and half miles of
road alignment was set out.
(b) 9,593 ft. of building lines was set out.
(c) Surveys covering ninety two acres were made for eighteen police cases. To give evidence in connexion with such surveys, surveyors attended court on eighteen occasions.
(d) The drawing section of this division compiled for printing and publication a 'Plan of the Central District', which was put on sale in August. The end-paper maps for the Hong Kong Annual Report were redrawn at twice the printing scale and the Government Printer was supplied with separate colour fair drawings on 'Ethulon'. Compilation of sheets of a 1/9600 scale series (about six inches to a mile) was begun with the prepara- tion of the 'Harbour Sheet' and the "Tsuen Wan' sheet. These sheets will not however be printed and published, but will be available as copycat prints.
237 sets of lease plans were prepared.
177. The training programme envisaged at the beginning of the year could not be carried out because of the shortage of qualified staff. Only six recruits were appointed during the year instead of the twenty provided for in the establishment.
New Territories Cadastral Survey
178. The three parties at Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Castle Peak continued to make progress throughout the year. With the departure on leave at the end of the year of the surveyor-in-charge this work suffered
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from inadequate supervision and the acute shortage of qualified staff aggravated by sickness precluded any possibility of seconding any other officer from this division.
179. During the year the control points in the three areas being surveyed were increased by the addition of twenty four minor traingula- tion stations. An additional 459 permanent survey marks were laid down involving thirty two miles of main and minor traverse.
180. On the detail survey work 4,050 acres were surveyed involving over 146 miles of detail traverse. Thirty seven sheets were completed, making a total of sixty seven of these basic survey sheets available. Field work was hindered on sixty days due to weather conditions and other causes.
181. Because of the difficulty of supervision, the Field Headquarters of this survey was brought in to Kowloon.
DRAWING OFFICE
182. Fifty seven sets of Sale Plans, 385 sets of Lease Plans and 342 sets of Surrender Plans were prepared. Thirteen miscellaneous tracings were made and 23,982 ammonia prints were produced. One new 200 feet to 1 inch scale tracing of Hong Kong Island and two of Kowloon were made.
183. The 'Copycat' printing equipment produced 3,885 prints, and 729 prints were produced by cyclostyle. 307 prints were made on the 'Apollo' machine on 'Deltaline' paper.
184. The Photostat reproduction equipment produced 2,645 prints from 918 negatives.
185. The Photographic Section also produced 1,675 enlargements to various scales for Survey Section, Town Planning Section and other Government offices. Progress reports and record photos for the whole Department were also made involving 1,290 negatives; twenty seven contact prints were made, as well as 197 miscellaneous reflex prints from forty one negatives.
186. In addition the newly opened Kowloon Drawing Office produced 2.133 prints by the 'Apollo' machine on 'Deltaline' paper, eight miscellaneous tracings and thirty eight by cyclostyle.
187. Special plans were prepared to show the Kai Tak Airport flight approach. Maps were also made for the Public Relations Officer and the Department of Commerce and Industry for their Annual Reports and trade magazine. There was a very heavy demand for layout
30
Digitized by Google
plans following publication of a list by the Town Planning Section, over 600 being supplied. Revision of existing tracings (200′ scale) was carried out, many changes in spelling of names being necessary. Two drawings in full colour were made of the Royal Coat of Arms for the P.W.D. Architectural Office. Work was also carried out for the Urban Services Department in locating and preparing plans of all old cemeteries on the Island and the Mainland.
DRAINAGE OFFICE
Chief Engineer, E. P. W. Morgan, B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.W.E.
GENERAL
188. The rainfall during the year was about 40% above average, chiefly because of very severe rainstorms in the last week of May and the third week of June, which caused widespread damage by flooding on both sides of the harbour. Certain nullahs filled with silt and over- flowed their walls; in particular, Wun Sha Street Nullah, Kai Tak Nullah and Waterloo Road Nullah. About 50,000 tons of silt were removed from Kai Tak Nullah alone whilst the total amount removed from all nullahs after these storms was in the region of 145,000 tons.
189. The Army assisted greatly in the removal of silt from Kai Tak Nullah by the use of mechanical plant.
190. The number of choked sewers cleared during the year showed an increase of 1,300 over the previous year's total due probably to the effect of the heavy rainstorms. The length of new sewers and storm- water drains added during the year was 14.2 miles being an increase of four miles over the previous year's total, whilst 3.7 miles of defective drainage were replaced.
191. The following table lists the normal drainage work carried out during the year, but does not include intercepting sewers and plant for Main Drainage Schemes:
Island
Kowloon & New Kowloon
New Drainage Laid (length in feet).. 16,624
35,972
Replacement of Defective Drainage
(length in feet)
5,426
13.997
Connexions provided
609
1.281
Chokes cleared
3.344
5,207
New Territories
Total
22,000
74,596
40
19,463
43
1.933
187
8.735
192. It will be seen that most of the replacement of defective drainage was in Kowloon, a large proportion of this figure being in the Yau Ma Tei Drainage area to connect up with the new intercepting sewers which had been completed in the previous year. New drainage
31
Digitized by Google
laid in the New Territories was more than double that of the previous year, much of the increase being attributable to drainage laid for development of the Tsuen Wan and at Shek Wu Hui. The defective drainage replaced on the Island included extensive relaying of sewers in Wan Chai to connect up to the new Wan Chai Sewerage Scheme.
193. Minor maintenance works were carried out in Government air-raid tunnels.
RESETTLEMENT (domestic and industrial) and HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
194. Extensive drainage works were carried out for the Resettlement Schemes at Wong Tai Sin, Li Cheng Uk and the Kwun Tong Industrial Development on the Mainland, and at Chai Wan on the Island. Drainage for Housing Development Schemes at So Uk, K.M.L.s 32, 33 and 47 Hung Hom, and K.M.L. 52 on the Mainland and at Java Road on the Island was well advanced. Preliminary investigation began for the drainage of the proposed Housing Authority site on Clearwater Bay Road near the village of Ngau Chi Wan. Extensive nullah and culvert construction commenced in the Jordan Valley to allow its development as a Resettlement Area.
NULLAH DECKING AND RECONSTRUCTION
195. A large programme of nullah decking included those at Hill Road, Smithfield Road, Chai Wan, Healthy Village and Sun Sing Street on the Island, and at Tonkin Street, Nelson Street, Tai Hang Tung, Lo Lung Hang Street and Waterloo Road from Soares Avenue to Peace Avenue in Kowloon. A considerable programme of nullah decking has been investigated.
196. Extensive nullah reconstruction was put in hand at Wun Sha Street to remedy the heavy flooding in Tai Hang Village and surround- ing areas which has occurred in past years after each heavy rainstorm.
DISPOSAL WORKS AND INTERCEPTING SEWERS
197. In continuance of the policy of collecting the sewage of large drainage areas into intercepting sewers and carrying the final effluent out to sea in submarine pipes, the laying of intercepting sewers for the Wan Chai Sewerage Scheme continued and investigation work was carried out for the North Point Sewerage Scheme on the Island. Sections of the intercepting sewers for the Kowloon Eastern Drainage Scheme and the Cheung Sha Wan Outfall on the Mainland were also laid.
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198. Only one screening plant has so far been erected, the one for the Yau Ma Tei Drainage Scheme, and this plant operated success- fully. Detailed plans for a submarine outfall were prepared for schemes to drain three populous areas at Wan Chai, North Point and Kowloon East.
199. In Shek Wu Hui, New Territories, a septic tank to serve about 2.000 persons was constructed as a temporary means of sewage disposal for this rapidly developing area. A permanent sewage disposal scheme to serve the whole of Shek Wu Hui and neighbouring villages was investigated.
PRIVATE WORKS
200. Proposed private drainage works submitted for examination numbered 1,261-almost double the number for the previous year.
201. Advice was given on the drainage aspects of 639 proposed sales of Crown land or permit areas.
202. Drainage connexions arising from new buildings numbered 1,933-an increase of 50% over the 1956/57 figure, and an indication that the tempo of development and redevelopment had not slackened.
ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE
Acting Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, K. B. Baker, A.M.I.Mech.E.
GENERAL
203. The Sub-department installed many new items of plant and continued to maintain all Government electrical and mechanical equip- ment, including motor vehicles, lifts, motors, traffic lights and bollards, typhoon signal masts, printing machinery, and domestic appliances, as well as generating, civil engineering, air conditioning and refrigeration plant.
204. Plans to complete the second stage of the rebuilding pro- gramme on the Caroline Hill site unfortunately had to be reconsidered; the Architectural Office prepared tentative plans for much more extensive development of the site, including a building of possibly ten storeys to accommodate other Government offices.
MECHANICAL SECTION
205. In previous years the maintenance and installation of plant and equipment in Kowloon and the New Territories has been carried out
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by personnel based on the main workshops in Hong Kong. In order to cope satisfactorily with an increased volume of work, a new branch of the Mechanical Plant Section of the workshops was established in the Kowloon Depot to cater exclusively for plant and equipment on the Mainland.
206. At the end of the year there were 1,009 Government vehicles in service against an authorized establishment of 1,170. They comprised 223 motor cycles, 362 cars and light utility vans and 424 heavy load carrying and special purpose vehicles. There was a total of 585 accidents. 133 new vehicles were put into service and eighty two old ones were disposed of in accordance with the recommendations of Boards of Surveys.
207. The Transport Pool of 158 vehicles operated smoothly and answered over 40,000 calls.
208. Of the 241 applicants tested for posts as motor drivers 143 were engaged.
209. All-metal bodies for local construction were designed for three 30-cwt. Post Office Vans, eight Police Patrol Wagons and one Police Medium General Purpose Van. In addition local firms manufactured 225 refuse hand carts complete with bins for the Urban Services Department and sixty nine for the Resettlement Office.
210. Two Land Rovers were converted into dual drive control vehicles for use in the Police Driving School. Two 12-passenger utility vehicles were extensively modified and fitted with special equipment for use as Mobile Recording Vans by the Broadcasting Department and seven other 10-cwt. vans were converted into utility vehicles for various Government departments.
211. Eight new special Conservancy Collectors were received to implement the introduction of the first stage of the Sherriff-Baker night soil collection system. Considerable work had to be done on them before putting them into service, particularly in the fitting of full length panelling and catwalks.
212. A total of forty three vehicles were given a major overhaul including the complete stripping down of the bodywork for inspection and renewal of framework and panelling where necessary. Experience gained indicated that, by giving the vehicles a major overhaul after four to five years service, their useful and economical life could be extended by at least 50%, and it is possible that the majority of the
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special types of vehicles which have bodies built in the workshops will in fact double their life expectancy.
213. The installation at the end of the year of two sets of lifts and ramps on the second leg of the pier at Kowloon completed the contract for the erection and installation of the six electrically operated lifts of the new 'Star' Ferry Piers in Hong Kong and Kowloon which com- menced in October 1956.
214. A 21 ton lead screen mounted on an electrically operated trolley was constructed and installed in the Radio Cobalt Room, Queen Mary Hospital.
215. Pressure vessels overhauled and surveyed during the year included eight steam boilers, four calorifiers, fourteen autoclaves, fifty three sterilizers, eighteen rice boilers and five pressure ovens. In addition the steam installation at Stanley Prison was completely overhauled in- cluding the replacement of all the steam piping and fittings.
216. The Mechanical Plant Section had a very busy year maintain- ing all Government's civil and mechanical plant, diesel generating sets, well water pumps, lawn mowers, etc., as well as installing numerous additional generating sets, water pumps, petrol pumps and storage tanks.
217. Six 10-ton diesel engined road rollers, three vibrating type motor rollers, one 210 c.f.m. mobile air compressor, one light farm tractor and numerous other items of mechanical equipment were received from the Crown Agents, assembled and put into service.
218. Major overhauls were carried out on seven road rollers, three mobile air compressors, two bulldozers, a number of generating sets and other odd items of plant. Four road rollers which had been bogged in soft ground and submerged during the June rains had to be completely stripped down for inspection and reassembled before being put back into service.
219. Additional equipment received and installed in the workshops included an engraving machine, a commutator lathe, a magnetic crack detecting machine, a 'Pullmax' sheet metal working machine and three electrically operated synchronous time recording machines, together with a capstan lathe transferred from the K.C.R. Workshops.
220. The number of jobs completed by the Mechanical Workshops totalled 35,633.
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ELECTRICAL SECTION
221. The number of items of electrical plant and appliances in use at the end of the year totalled 22,274--about 12% more than in the previous year. The programme for servicing and maintaining in good running order the 1,269 electric motors (totalling 10,311 H.P.), 8,714 fans, 6,507 heaters and radiators, 1,021 cookers and hot-plates, 1,928 water heaters and boilers and 2,835 miscellaneous items was satisfac- torily carried out.
222. Major electrical installations completed included:
3 Nos. 480 H.P. motors at the Tsuen Wan waterworks pumping station 1 No. 370 H.P. motor and main switchboard at the Kau Wa Kang
waterworks pumping station
1 No. 320 H.P. motor and associated switchgear at the Elliot waterworks
pumping station
3 Nos. 98 H.P. motors and
1 No. 368 H.P. motor and associated switchgear at the new Garden Road
waterworks pumping station
3 Nos. 30 H.P. motors at the Mong Kok Road sewerage station
2 Nos. 18 H.P. motors at the Nan Chang Street sewerage station
2 Nos. 20 H.P. motors and
1 No. 10 H.P. motor at the Anchor Street sewerage station
1 No. 405 H.P. motor and
2 Nos. 175 H.P. motors at the Tai Tam Tuk waterworks pumping station 1 No. 75 H.P. air compressor at the Hok Yuen quarry
1 No. 55 K.W. emergency generator at the basement plant room, Central
Block, New Government Offices
2 Nos. 500 K.V.A. transformers and associated high tension switchgears
at the Mount Butler quarry
223. The Electrical Workshop continued to be fully employed during the year; 18,834 maintenance visits were made, 14,359 faults repaired, 15,613 jobs completed, 1,584 installation tests made, 254 estimates prepared and 1,428 inventories made out.
224. Vehicle Actuated Traffic Control Signals were installed, and regulated to suit prevailing traffic conditions at the junctions of:
Hennessey Road/Tin Lok Lane/Marsh Road
Hennessey Road/Percival Street
Caine Road/Arbuthnot Road/Upper Albert Road
Pok Fu Lam Road/Bonham Road/Hill Road
Des Voeux Road West/Connaught Road West
Pok Fu Lam Road/Queen's Road West/Western Street
Belisha beacons were installed at the following locations:
Wong Nei Chong Road
Hennessey Road
Queen's Road East ...
...
1 crossing
2 crossings
3 crossings
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225. A total of 280 traffic island bollards were manufactured and installed at various locations.
226. A new typhoon signal mast was constructed and erected at the Police Post on Hay Ling Chau Island.
227. Wiring installations in the new 'Star' Ferry Piers, Hong Kong and Kowloon, and at the Mount Butler quarry staff quarters were completed on contract. The wiring installation of six new 'Star' Ferry Pier lifts was completed by Workshop personnel.
228. The following new lifts were installed under contract:
Police Rank & File Quarters, Arsenal Yard ... Government Branch Offices, Farm Road, Kowloon Married Officers' Quarters, Western Police Station Bed/Passenger lift (replacement) in Queen Mary Hospital
(South Wing)
...
+
2 lifts
lift
I lift
1 lift
229. Contracts were placed for the installation of five passenger lifts and two mail lifts in the West Wing Central Government Offices Build- ing, one mail lift in the General Post Office and one replacement bed/ passenger lift in the North Wing Queen Mary Hospital.
AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION SECTION
230. New plant and equipment installed represented an increase of 10% over the previous year. The annual maintenance programme for servicing and keeping in good running order the fifty four air condition- ing plants totalling 977 tons of refrigeration, 190 room air coolers, 1,454 domestic type refrigerators, nine mortuaries and cold stores, twelve film processing units, thirty dehumidifiers, forty four ventilating and extrac- tion plants and other miscellaneous items including a blood plasma manufacturing unit and two deep freeze cabinets for vaccines was carried out satisfactorily. In the course of this work 14,054 maintenance visits were made and 1,270 faults repaired, 1,111 major and minor repairs executed and 154 major jobs carried out. In addition eight major installations ranging in size from 25 tons to 370 tons were under continuous maintenance.
231. Installations carried out under contract included:
new air conditioning plants in the basement of the Peninsula Hotel (10 H.P.), Supreme Court North end (56 H.P.), Royal Observatory Forecast Rooms (23 H.P.), and Technical College Textile Laboratory (20 H.P.); extension of air ducts of the existing air conditioning plants in the Public Relations Office and in the Studio of Radio Hong Kong; room air coolers for the following department: Commerce and Industry (6),
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Queen Mary Hospital (9), Kowloon Hospital (2), Kowloon T.B. Clinic (3), Kowloon Fire Station (1), Tsan Yuk Hospital (1), Hong Kong Police Headquarters (2), Education Department (2), Lee Kee Dispensary Dental Clinic (I), Kai Tak Airport (5), Labour Department (6), Supreme Court (4), Wan Chai Polyclinic (4), D.A.F.F. Laboratory (2), and Government Printing Works (6); dehumidifiers in Kowloon T.B. Clinic (1), Civil Aid Services Control Room in Central Government Offices (1) and Queen Mary Hospital (2); and ventilation systems in Kowloon T.B. Clinic.
PORT WORKS OFFICE
Chief Engineer, J. J. Robson, A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.Struct.E.
GENERAL
232. The work carried out may be considered under four main headings:
(a) maintenance of sea walls and piers with miscellaneous dredging
works,
(b) new construction on reclamations, public piers and other marine
structures,
(c) miscellaneous, and
(d) operation of the P.W.D. materials testing laboratory.
MAINTENANCE
233. As previously, the maintenance of the Colony's public piers. sea walls and other marine structures was carried out under an annual contract. This included repairs to fenders, decking, wallings, landing steps, handrails, etc. and the redecoration of Fenwick Street Pier.
234. Two typhoons, 'Wendy' and 'Gloria', caused damage to various marine structures including Queen's Pier and piers at Tai Lam Chung, Castle Peak, Tai Po, Silvermine Bay, Stanley and Tai O.
235. The Lighthouse pier at Green Island had to be completely rebuilt.
236. However it can be said that, bearing in mind that Typhoon 'Gloria' in September was the first occasion for many years that the No. 10 international typhoon signal had been hoisted in the Colony. the sum total of damage to port facilities was surprisingly light.
237. The two departmental Priestman grab dreding units were used for preparing the foundation trenches for seawalls at Tsuen Wan, Hung
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Hom and the Central Reclamation, and for a typhoon shelter at Tsing Yi Island. Other work included the clearance of nullah outfalls and dredging in connexion with the new Government Stores Pier at North Point. A total of 197,000 cubic yards of material was dredged during the year.
238. Diving inspections were carried out on various piers and seawalls. Rocks dangerous to shipping in the Southern Fairway and Kowloon Bay were removed by underwater blasting. Government divers spent a total of 227 hours underwater.
239. Public dumping in marine reclamation at Cheung Sha Wan, Chai Wan, Kwun Tong, Hung Hom and the Central District of Hong Kong produced 496,000 cubic yards of filling during the year.
New Star Ferry Piers
NEW CONSTRUCTION
240. The construction of these two double decked piers at Hong Kong Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, which commenced on 1st October 1955, was completed in March 1957, although one leg of both piers had been in operation for some months. Work also started in March on the extension of the decking of the pier at Kowloon to provide a site for a public latrine.
Kwun Tong Reclamation
241. The reclamation of Kwun Tong Bay for industrial development continued. The contract for 1,500,000 cubic yards of filling mentioned in last year's report was completed in May, by which time some 64.2 acres had been reclaimed. In July work started on a further contract for 1,000,000 cubic yards of filling to complete the present phase of the project, the additional area to be reclaimed under this contract being 25.8 acres. By the end of the year 8.5 acres of this had been filled to level.
242. The latest contract differs from earlier ones in that in addition to the excavation of soft material from the adjacent hills, rock is also being removed to form sites for workers' houses to correct lines and levels. The excavated rock is being dumped in sites for future open spaces and other areas where it is known that no piled foundations will be required.
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Central Reclamation Stage III
243. Work on this stage of the thirty six acre Central Reclamation project progressed rapidly. The deposition of the rubble foundation im- mediately followed the completion of the dredging and sandfilling works by the Société Francaise d'Entreprises de Dragages et de Traveaux Publics, and at year's end was substantially completed. A further con- tract for the construction of approximately 1,050 feet of seawall and two temporary return walls totalling 500 feet on these foundations was let in February.
Hung Hom Reclamation
244. Plans for a length of 1,500 feet of seawall at the northern end of the reclamation were held in abeyance pending a decision on the resiting of the railway terminus. It was therefore decided to construct approximately 1,930 feet of seawall at the southern end and a contract for this work was awarded in March. Earlier in the year the founda- tion trench for 1,400 feet of this length was dredged and backfilled with sand by contract and a start made on the dredging of the remaining length by departmental plant.
245. The reclamation remained closed to public dumping through- out the year although spoil from Government works continued to be tipped there.
Seawall at Tsuen Wan Reclamation
246. A contract was let for 600 feet of seawall and later extended for a further 200 feet. This was completed during the year and contract drawings have been prepared for the construction of the remaining 2,600 feet of wall required to contain the whole reclamation.
Site Preparation for Low Cost Housing, Hung Hom
247. The removal of the hill adjacent to Ma Tau Wei Road, Hung Hom was completed and the full levelled site turned over to the Housing Society for the erection of low cost housing. The reduction of the hill included the excavation of 500,000 cubic yards of earth and 125,000 cubic yards of granite.
Site Development at Tai Wan Hill, Hung Hom
248. With the exception of drainage channels and some remedial work to render the cutting slopes safe, work was completed on the levelling of the hill at Tai Wan for four 7-storeyed resettlement blocks and the remaining two sites were handed over.
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Kat-O Pier
249. A contract for the construction of a small pier on the Island of Kat-O in Mirs Bay commenced in June. The precast reinforced concrete members for this pier had been built at the North Point Depot and completed by the middle of October and the transportation, handling and driving of the piles presented no special difficulty; driving was completed by the end of November. The construction of the deck- ing and the stone pitched causeway followed immediately and the pier had been substantially completed at the end of the year.
Tap Mun Pier
250. For this pier, on account of site conditions, hard rock without any cover being present at shallow depths, caissons were adopted in the design of the pier head in place of normal concrete piles.
251. Two caissons of different sizes were precast on timber cradles at the Port Works slipway at North Point, the bigger of which was completed in October, launched, towed to site and sunk in position.
252. The smaller caisson was completed and launched in November. The 25 mile tow to Tap Mun commenced in fine weather at 07.00 hours on 14th December. The weather remained fine until the afternoon when it steadily deteriorated with the wind backing to north-east and strengthening to force 5, causing rough seas to break over the bow of the caisson which developed a list to port. Attempts to come alongside and bail out the caisson failed due to increasing seas and the tow was resumed at slow speed. Shortly after rounding Bate Head at 17.00 hours with heavy seas breaking over the tow, the list became more pronounced and the caisson sank in deep water. Although the cox-swain of the towing vessel showed great presence of mind by attaching a life-buoy to the tow-bridle prior to casting it loose so that the sunken caisson could be easily located, salvage efforts failed on account of the difficult diving conditions.
253. To build another caisson would have unnecessarily delayed completion of the pier, and the work was redesigned and completed by constructing underwater 'tremie pipe' concrete walls.
Government Stores Wharf, North Point
254. This 200 feet by 25 feet wharf was constructed in reinforced concrete on a precast piled foundation. The work was completed well ahead of schedule and the pier handed over to the Stores Department at the end of December.
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Other Design Works
255. Designs and drawings were prepared for a typhoon shelter at Tsing Yi Island and for three new piers at Kei Ling Ha Hoi, Tsing Yi and Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island.
MISCELLANEOUS WORKS
Boring
256. (a) The land boring unit was chiefly engaged in site investiga- tions for the new Kowloon Hospital at King's Park. Other works included boring at Kwun Tong, Jordan Valley and Connaught Road Central. 229 bores with a total depth of 4,426 feet were sunk.
(b) The marine boring unit has been used extensively for investiga- tion of sites for new construction work. Bores were sunk at Tsing Yi (proposed pier site), Sok Kwu Wan, Wan Chai, Central Reclamation Stages II and III, Tung Chung Bay, Aberdeen, To Kwa Wan, Tolo Harbour and various other places. A total of 175 bores with a total depth of 4,234 feet were sunk.
Minor Works
257. Minor works carried out or commenced were:
(a) Inspections of private piers prior to renewal of permits and
leases.
(b) The checking of calculations and drawings submitted by private
architects for various marine structures.
(c) Modifications to the saltwater pump house under Arsenal Street
Marine Police Pier.
(d) The resiting of two tramway poles at Kennedy Town New
Praya for the Hongkong Tramways, Ltd.
(e) The construction of a wave deflector on the Chai Wan break-
Surveys
water.
258. The survey section was fully employed on various types of surveying including land, marine and sub-marine works. All the works described in the preceding paragraphs were set out and the earth and rubble quantities measured by this section.
259. Progress and check surveys were carried out at regular intervals at public dumps and refuse dumps at Cheung Sha Wan,
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Hung Hom Bay, Chai Wan, Kwun Tong, Kennedy Town and Gin Drinker's Bay in order to control dumping.
Other miscellaneous surveys carried out were:
(a) Soundings for various storm water drain and nullah outfalls
within the harbour.
(b) Tidal current observations in Kowloon Bay for the preparation
of a tidal model of the harbour.
(c) For the demolition of rocks constituting a danger to shipping in Kowloon Bay, the Southern Fairway and off the Eastern tip of Stonecutters Island.
(d) Routine surveys for pier leases and permits.
(e) Detailed soundings for proposed piers at Island House, Tai Po and at Tung Chung, Sok Kwu Wan, Waglan and Tsing Yi Island.
MATERIALS TESTING LABORATORY
260. The Laboratory continued to carry out tests for the Public Works Department, other departments of Government, private architects and building contractors although the total, for varying reasons, is less than in the previous year. Numbering more than 10,000 they included:
(i) 5,129 tests on the compressive strength of concrete, of which 200
were on behalf of private firms.
(ii) The analysis of fresh concrete, cement content of hardened concrete and an investigation into the accelerated strength of
concrete.
(iii) 600 odd tests on the physical properties of cements of which
several brands were new to the Colony markets.
(iv) 677 tests on the physical properties of various types of soils,
including shear strength, C.B.R. values and salinity.
(v) 1,361 tests on concrete aggregate including sieve analyses, crush-
ing strengths, bulk densities and organic impurities.
(vi) 489 hot extraction tests on bituminous macadam and ninety six
others for impurities of bituminous binder.
(vii) 1,413 tests on mild steel rods for their tensile strengths, per- centage elongations under load and characteristics when bent cold.
261. Other materials tested included hollow tiles, sand/cement bricks, plastic flooring tiles and steel anchor bolts and sockets.
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262. In addition the laboratory conducted the following investiga- tions:
(a) With the co-operation of Government Chemist and the Fisheries Research Unit of Hong Kong University, a total number of twenty four samples of sea water taken at two places in the har- bour were tested for their salinity and 'suspended solid' content. (b) A series of tests were conducted to determine the coefficient of friction between concrete surfaces under varying conditions. (c) Tests on the effect of powdered rubber mixed with bitumen
80/100 and M.C. 4.
(d) In connexion with the C.B.R. values and the stabilization of
Hong Kong Laterite soils by hydrated lime.
ROADS OFFICE
Chief Engineer, F. A. Fisher, B.Sc., LL.B., A.M.I.C.E.
GENERAL
263. The work of this office steadily increased and additional staff brought the total up to over 1,500. A new post of Assistant Chief Engineer was established at the beginning of the year to assist in the office organization.
264. A Traffic Engineering Section was added to the sub-department for the specific purpose of preparing road widening schemes to improve traffic flow, besides designing road junctions, road marking and all aids to traffic on a sound engineering basis.
265. Over five miles of new road were constructed during the year and plans and surveys made for many extensions to spread the Colony's road network further into the New Territories and to permit additional development in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The decision to permit 8-feet wide vehicles to be used in the Colony rendered many of the existing roads dangerously narrow and necessitated new carriageways being planned with a width of 24-feet to cater for such vehicles.
266. Early in the year the planned programme of work was dis- located by exceptional rain storms which heavily taxed the resources both of the Roads Office and of the contractors carrying out the repair work. Despite this the lost time was made up in the latter part of the year and most of the original programme of works was successfully completed.
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The recently completed 175-foot high Tai Lam Chung Dam.
Steel & Concrete-The Tai Lam Chung dam nearing completion.
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Tai Lam Chung Scheme. A lorry passing bay 2,000 feet from the portal of a 12′ 6′′ diam. × 6,500 feet waterworks tunnel.
Tai Lam Chung Scheme. Men at work in a 12′ 6′′ diam. waterworks tunnel.
Three floored car park building on Central Reclamation. Victoria, with new 'Star' Ferry terminal behind.
New Garden Road Roundabout.
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The Olympic diving platform at the new Victoria Swimming Pool.
The new 50 metre Victoria Swimming Pool with playing fields in the background.
H
1
267. During the year approximately $25,000,000 was spent on the maintenance and construction of roads and bridges.
CITY ROADS, VICTORIA
268. The completion of the circular junction at Garden Road, Magazine Gap Road and Robinson Road considerably improved traffic conditions at this busy intersection. Improvements to two other import- ant junctions were put in hand, one at Peak Road/Albany Road/ Robinson Road and the other at Queen's Road East/Stubbs Road.
269. A number of roads have been rebuilt with heavier pavements to suit the increased volume of traffic, in particular sections of Des Voeux Road, Pedder Street and Lockhart Road and parts of Queen's Road, Garden Road, Caine Road and Kennedy Road. A number of secondary roads were also improved by the provision of a new wearing surface.
ISLAND ROADS-OUTSIDE the CITY LIMITS
270.
Bad weather delayed work on the extension of Tin Hau Temple Road, but by the end of the year most of the formation work had been completed. This road is being constructed to a total width of thirty two feet consisting of a 10-ft. footpath and a 22-ft. carriageway with draw-ins for buses; a reserve has been made for widening to forty four feet to provide for two 10-ft. footpaths and a 24-ft. carriageway when development of the area warrants it.
271. The complete realignment of Eastern Hospital Road between the Hong Kong Stadium and Cotton Path commenced. This is really a new road adjacent to, but at a lower level, than the existing one-way road which bears the same name, and is being constructed to an overall width of forty feet providing two 8-ft. footpaths and a 24-ft. carriageway. 272. A small bus terminus was constructed at North Point to replace the unsatisfactory arrangement at Kam Hong Street.
273. Extensions to Tong Shui Road, Shu Kuk Street, Kam Hong Street and Tin Chiu Street flanking the North Point Housing Estate were constructed in accordance with the North Point Development Plan.
274. The junction of Tung Lo Wan Road and Causeway Road was reconstructed and improved and a bus lay-by provided in Tung Lo Wan Road. Parts of Repulse Bay Road, Magazine Gap Road and Island Road were resurfaced and minor improvements made. Surface dressing
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with a gang sprayer was carried out on a number of important but lightly trafficed roads.
275. The public dumping ground for contractors' spoil at Brickfield, Aberdeen, was filled to level and closed and new areas of Staunton Creek were opened to replace it..
KOWLOON ROADS
276. The remaining length of Lai Chi Kok Road was reconstructed in concrete. The carriageway of Boundary Street between Tai Hang Tung Road and Sai Yee Street was also constructed in concrete, com- pleting the full width of Boundary Street throughout its length.
277. Parts of Castle Peak Road, Reclamation Street, and a number of other minor streets were reconstructed, and Perth Street was widened for the safety and convenience of the several schools which it serves.
278. New extensions of La Salle Road, To Kwa Wan Road, Tai Kok Tsui Road, Tonkin Street, Cheung Sha Wan Road and a number of others were carried out to give access to newly developed sites.
279. Good progress was made on the site formation, road and drainage works in the Housing Zones at the new Kwun Tong industrial
town.
280. A number of new playgrounds and rest gardens were con- structed in Tai Po Road, Prince Edward Road, Sai Yee Street, Chatham Road, and in several Resettlement Areas.
281. At Kai Tak Airport general routine maintenance work was carried out as necessary, including the resurfacing of parts of the run- ways, taxi track and hardstanding. The runway markings were repainted and a crash barrier 680 feet long and 33 feet wide constructed adjacent to the terminal buildings by sand filling retained by two dwarf walls.
NEW TERRITORIES ROADS
282. The first of the dual carriageways of Castle Peak Road between M.S.5 and M.S.10 was completed. The first section of the South Lantao Road from Silver Mine Bay to Cheung Sha--a length of five miles- was opened, and work continued on several other minor village roads financed with funds provided under the Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme.
283. Work started on a new road to Gin Drinker's Bay and on a new road to the top of Tai Mo Shan from the military road between Tsuen Wan and Shek Kong.
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284. At the Shek Wu Hui township new roads were built in accordance with the Town Plan for the redevelopment of the area devastated by fire.
285. The heavy rainstorms in May severely damaged several sections of main road, and one of the washouts on the Tai Po Road was spanned by a 120 foot Bailey bridge provided and erected by the Royal Engineers, who also provided plant and labour and assisted in maintaining through-traffic in the New Territories during the emergency period. All wash-outs were made good, the drainage systems in the vicinity improved, and in several cases an improved road realignment obtained.
286. Over twenty bays were provided to permit buses to stop off the carriageways of the New Territories roads to improve traffic flow.
CEMETERIES
287. New terraces and concrete footpaths were provided at the Wo Hop Shek Cemetery.
BRIDGES AND SUBWAYS
288. The reconstruction of the Tai Po Market Bridge was completed early in the year and five smaller bridges were built to replace some of the temporary hump-bridges and Bailey bridges, the new bridges being designed to Ministry of Transport loadings.
289. The exceptionally heavy rainfall in May caused the collapse of one half width of the Kam Tin Bridge due to the river bed underneath the central piers being scoured away. The Royal Engineers erected a Bailey bridge over the remaining half of the bridge to carry heavy military traffic, but a thorough investigation showed this remaining half of the bridge to be in a sound condition and the Bailey bridge was removed. After cofferdams had been constructed to divert the stream course the reconstruction and widening of the bridge commenced.
290. Two other bridges at Sai Kung also collapsed. Both of these were temporarily replaced with rolled steel joists and later permanently replaced by a concrete bridge and a box culvert respectively.
291. About forty feet of the Sai Kung Road near the police station was washed away. A temporary timber bridge quickly erected to restore through traffic was replaced later by a reinforced concrete box culvert.
292. Designs and detailed drawings were completed for the recon- struction of the bridge carrying the Peak Tramway over Kennedy Road.
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293. Sketch plans were prepared for a pedestrian subway under Connaught Road Central near the new Star Ferry Concourse.
294. Sketch plans were also made for a number of pedestrian bridges which could be erected at various busy road junctions in Hong Kong.
TRAFFIC
295. The new Traffic Engineering Section produced a tentative Main Routes Plan for the City of Victoria, and commenced a similar plan for Kowloon.
296. The rapid redevelopment of the city and the steady build-up of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic necessitated the revision of a number of lot boundaries to permit road widening and realignment schemes to be carried out. Private architects and their clients co-operated willingly in most of these improvements.
297. A number of automatic traffic counters have been ordered to enable details of traffic flow to be recorded and so that design work may be based on more accurate information.
298. New traffic signs, pedestrian refuges and crossings with flash- ing beacons were installed at a number of places.
STREET LIGHTING
299. The improvement and extension of public street lighting con- tinued with the installation of 694 new lamps and replacement of a number of gas and low-powered electric lamps by modern and more powerful lamps.
300. Seventy illuminated traffic bollards were also installed.
QUARRIES
301. The Government quarries operated by the Roads Office with direct labour produced 256,000 tons of crushed and treated stone, going far to meeting the demands of the whole department.
302. The new quarry at Mount Butler worked up to full production and by the end of the year was producing a wide range of bituminous materials in addition to crushed stone and fines.
303. New mixing plant was ordered for the Hok Yuen Quarry so that similar high-quality materials may be produced there also.
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304. The following table shows the output from the three quarries over the last five years:
Tsat Tsz Mui
Hok Yuen
Mt. Butler
..
Total
..
Crushed Stone (Tons)
Bituminous Macadam (Tons)
53154 54/55 55/56 56/57 57158 53/54 54155 $5156 56/57 57158
97,583 103,457 100,353 89.953 Closed 21,326 24,826 30,352 22,107 Closed 84.980 105,331 103.409 113,287 98.089 26,938 25,107 30,166 32.212 37,303
*11.821 94.780
t2,119 30.899
182,563 208,788 203,762 215.061 187,870 48.264 49.933 60.518 56,438 68,202
• Commenced production in December.
+ Commenced production in January.
WATERWORKS OFFICE
Waterworks Engineer, T. O. Morgan, B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E.
Assistant Waterworks Engineer, C. I. Wilks, A.M.I.C.E., M.I.W.E.
GENERAL
305. The demand for water again increased as a result of continued industrial expansion, the construction of numerous multi-storey build- ings, and the necessity for supplying new resettlement estates.
306. Rainfall during the quarter ending 30th June was nearly twice the average, May being a particularly wet month. Consequently, by the end of May all reservoirs, excepting Tai Lam Chung, were overflowing. These early rains permitted the 5-hour supply period in force on April 1st to be increased to nine hours on May 10th. As the rainfall continued to exceed the average and most reservoirs were full or overflowing, a full supply was provided on May 22nd and maintained until July 28th when the hours were curtailed to sixteen. Further heavy rains, however, enabled a full supply to be reintroduced on 26th August and retained until 10th September. A 16-hour period was then imposed, but heavy rain again made it possible to eliminate restrictions and a 24-hour supply was given from 22nd September until 5th October. A reduction to sixteen hours daily was then made, followed by a further reduction to ten hours on October 14th. It was hoped to maintain the 10-hour supply period throughout the dry season, but owing to the early cessation of the rains the yield failed to come up to expectations and it became necessary to reduce the period to eight hours on January 27th. The usual full supply was given over the Chinese New Year and also at Christmas and New Year.
307. The two emergency pumping stations which proved so valuable last year became redundant with the advent of the heavy rains and with
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the additional storage provided by Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. The installations were therefore dismantled and the pumps installed at Tsuen Wan and the Rumsey Street (salt water for fire fighting) Pumping Stations.
Rainfall
SUPPLY
308. The rainfall for the year recorded by the Royal Observatory was 118.03 inches. This is 33.29 inches more than the average of 84.74 inches, and compares with an average of 117.48 inches recorded during the year by the raingauges in the various Waterworks catchment areas.
Storage
309. The following table gives details of storage in the impounding reservoirs :
Date
April 1st, 1957
May 7th. 1957
October 5th, 1957
April 1st, 1958
Storage in
Million Gallons
2,897.05
2,317.26
9,517.82
4,584.30
Remarks
Including 1,197.23 M.G.
in Tai Lam Chung
Minimum
Maximum
Including 1,699.80 M.G.
in Tai Lam Chung
310. There were altogether seventeen days when all reservoirs, with the exception of Tai Lam Chung, overflowed to waste simultaneously.
Consumption
311. The urban areas were supplied with 18,651 million gallons of water and the New Territories villages with a further 500 million gallons, an increase of 6.643 and forty seven million gallons respectively over the previous year. The total number of hours of supply throughout the year amounted to 5,078.5 as compared with 1,709.5 hours in 1956/57, being an average of 13.9 hours per day, compared with 4.6 hours per day.
312. A maximum consumption of 73.08 million gallons, the highest ever recorded, occurred on 28th July when the Colony was receiving a full supply.
Distribution
313. Due to the generally extended hours of supply, the usual difficulties experienced in providing a reasonably equitable distribution of water were not so evident. However, to effect general improvement,
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new mains and submains were laid to enlarge or replace old encrusted ones and to meet the demands of new development.
Water Analysis
314. During the year samples of water were taken regularly from service reservoirs and consumers' taps and tested by the Government Pathologist and Chemist. Generally, the standard was satisfactory, but when samples were not to the required standard of purity the cause of pollution was traced and the necessary remedial action taken.
315. A total of 328 samples were taken from service reservoirs, and of these, 316 or 96% were up to the required standard, that is to say, they showed an absence of coliform organism in 100 c.c. The reasons for eight out of the twelve bad samples were traced, and after suitable treatment repeat samples were satisfactory. No specific cause was determined in respect of three out of the four remaining samples, but the chlorine dosage at the reservoirs from which they were taken was temporarily increased as a precaution. The remaining bad sample was taken from a supply main in the Peak area and contamination was eventually traced to a defective inside service at an adjacent property.
316. A total of 1,118 samples were taken from consumers' taps and 1,050 representing 94% found to be satisfactory. The contamination which had been prevalent in the Kowloon Tong area at the end of last year persisted and was responsible for nineteen of the bad samples. Most of the other bad samples were due to defects in inside services, and in all cases after repairs and sterilization repeat samples were satisfactory.
317. Samples were formerly taken by the Medical Department, but during the year the Waterworks Office took over this work and all samples are now taken by full-time water samplers forming part of the Waterworks Establishment.
Pumping
318. The following table shows the quantity of raw and filtered water pumped as compared with the previous year:
1957/58 1956/57
Increase
Raw Water Filtered Water Million Gallons Million Gallons
Total Million Gallons
8,567
7,841
16,408
3,673
2,993
6,666
4,894
4.848
9,742
319. The total quantity pumped was approximately 145% more than during the previous year. The marked increase in the quantity
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of water pumped is due to the additional supplies made available by the Tai Lam Chung Scheme. All the raw water from the new reservoir had to be pumped to the filters in the first case and later repumped in one or more stages according to the levels of the service reservoirs being supplied.
Waste Detection
320. Work continued on tracing visible leaks, checking cases of high consumption, preventing the use of water for unauthorized purposes and attending to complaints. In the latter half of the year the scope of this section was considerably extended; the urban areas were sub- divided into waste detection zones and checks for losses in these areas have been undertaken. Defective valves, stopcocks, mains etc. have been repaired or replaced and the areas retested until found satisfactory. In addition, restriction valves have been tested and selected premises checked for possible leakages into service during restriction periods. As a result of these tests leakages totalling almost 3,800 gallons per hour were discovered and dealt with.
Metered Services
321. The demand for new metered services were again heavy, 4,033 being installed on the Mainland and 2,621 on the Island. The following table shows the position over the last three years:
Year
1955/56
1956/57
1957/58
Workshops
New Meters Installed
Grand
Total
Mainland
Island
Total
3,908
2,342
6,250
50,097
1
4,756
2,452
7,208 57.305
4,033
2.621
6,654 63,959
322. In order to eliminate the excessive overtime working which would otherwise arise as a result of expansion in waterworks activities, it was necessary to increase the workshop labour force during the year, preference in the later stages being given to Royal Naval Dockyard personnel. The number of jobs undertaken increased by 14·1% com- pared with the previous year; 1,993 orders were executed of which 264 were for other Government departments. 45,103 meters were overhauled by the meter repair shop, which represented over 70% of all meters installed in consumers' premises and an increase of 8.9% over the previous year's figures.
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+
Mainlaying
RENEWALS AND IMPROVEMENTS
323. Mainlaying was concentrated on extensions to new develop- ment, alterations necessitated by road reconstruction and the enlarge- ment of undersized pipes in areas where pressures were inadequate.
324. A total of 207,400 ft. of piping varying in size from 2" to 18" diameter were laid, the more important work completed being as follows:
Hong Kong Island :
(a) Tai Tam Tuk-Tai Tam Gap-The final 2,500 ft. section of the existing 10" diameter pumping main was enlarged to 18" diameter for the raw water supply from Tai Tam Tuk to the new R.G. Filters at Sai Wan.
(b) North Point Housing Scheme-12′′, 10′′ and 6′′ diameter mains were laid in Shu Kuk Street and Java Road to supply the Java Road Low Cost Housing Estate.
(c) Aberdeen-Existing_mains in Island Road and Tung Sing Road
were enlarged to improve the supply to the Aberdeen area. (d) Stanley-The existing 4" diameter main in Tung Tau Wan Road was enlarged to 6′′ diameter to improve the supply to Stanley Gaol. (e) Elliot Service Reservoir---Kennedy Town-Work was put in hand on enlarging the supply main from the Elliot Service Reservoir to Kennedy Town to improve distribution and to accommodate the Cadogan Street Housing Scheme.
(f) Various sizes of mains were relaid in the following roads in
conjunction with reconstruction work:
Mainland:
Des Voeux Road, Garden Road, Pottinger Street, Bonham Road,
Tung Lo Wan Road, and Victoria Road.
Ice House Street, Lockhart Road,
(a) Approximately 800 ft. of 18" pipes were laid in Kiu Kiang Street
to improve the supply in the Sham Shui Po area.
(b) Approximately 1,800 ft. of 18" pipes were laid from Yau Ma Tei Service Reservoir and 1,200 ft. of 18′′ pipes from Jordan Road to meet the increased demand in the Tsim Sha Tsui area.
(c) Approximately 16,000 ft. of 18", 15′′ and 12" pipes were laid to give a supply to the Kwun Tong Reclamation and Housing Zone
area.
(d) Approximately 4,500 ft. of 6" main were laid at Sha Tin to
provide a supply to Tai Wai Village.
(e) Approximately 8,000 ft. of 6" pipes were laid from Luen Wo
Market to Shek Wu Hui to improve supplies in the area.
Service Reservoirs
325. All service reservoirs were cleaned and inspected and the inlet and outlet valves checked and repaired where necessary. The overflow
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from Yau Ma Tei Service Reservoir was lowered and a second outlet provided to Gascoigne Road. At Kowloon Tsai Service Reservoir the outlet was diverted round the new Lo Fu Ngam Housing site. New service reservoirs at Tai Po Road, Lai Chi Kok, Tsuen Wan and a balance tank at Kau Wa Keng were completed and put into service during the year.
Catchwaters
326. As a result of the exceptionally heavy rains experienced during the summer months many slips occurred in catchwaters, both on the Island and the Mainland. On the Island these were only of a minor nature and were all effectively cleared in a short time. More serious slips occurred in the Beacon Hill and Shing Mun catchwaters and resulted in considerable damage. Emergency repairs were carried out in the first instance, and during the winter months with the flow at a virtual minimum, permanent repairs were made and the opportunity taken to reconstruct some 8,000 ft. of the Beacon Hill Catchwater invert. A measuring flume was constructed and a flow recorder installed in that catchwater.
New Pumping Plant
327. Elliot Station. The pumping equipment ordered in 1953/54 was received, installed and put into service to supply the Peak and Mid-levels.
Kowloon Supply
328. The new 7 million gallon per day rapid gravity filters func- tioned satisfactorily throughout the year, and the new 5 million gallon service reservoir on the site of the old slow sand filters was completed and put into service. Part of the existing outlet main was enlarged to improve flow conditions, and the completion of this scheme resulted in a considerable improvement in the supply position particularly in the Sham Shui Po area.
Tsuen Wan Supply
329. The new 5 million gallon service reservoir was completed and the 24" outlet main laid to connect with the distribution system and bring the reservoir into service. The laying of 6,800 ft. of new 18" and 8,800 ft. of new 12′′ mains between the 64 and 94 milestones on the Castle Peak Road was completed, 15,000 ft. of 8′′ main was laid to supply factories in the new development area and the distribution system generally extended.
E
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Kwun Tong Development Stage I & II and Housing Zone No. 1
330. The laying of the trunk main from Diamond Hill Service Reservoir was completed and good progress has been made on the distribution system, thus affording a limited supply of water to the area. The Diamond Hill Reservoir is being brought in only to serve this area until the new Ngau Tau Kok Service Reservoir is completed; the latter forms part of the Tai Lam Chung Scheme and a start was made on its construction.
Tai Lam Chung Scheme
331. The first part of the scheme, with its maximum limit of twenty million gallons per day, completed its first year in service as part of the Colony's water supply resources; apart from the usual initial teething troubles in schemes of this nature it gave every satisfaction. Because of the extra water at Tai Lam Chung a serious shortage during the winter was avoided and a minimum 8-hour per day supply period maintained.
332. A total of 5,676 million gallons was supplied from Tai Lam Chung over the whole year, an average of approximately 15 million gallons per day.
333. Good progress was made on the outstanding work necessary to complete the project, particulars of the various items being as follows: (a) The main dam and the three subsidiary dams were completed. (b) Tsuen Wan Pumping Station (second half). The building neared
completion and installation of the additional equipment to ac- commodate the full potential of forty million gallons per day was commenced.
(c) The laying of the second of the two 36′′ rising mains from the
pumphouse to the filters neared completion.
(d) Rapid gravity filters and filter house (second half) were completed. (e) The 2 million gallon balance tank at Kau Wa Keng was com-
pleted and put into operation.
(f) Excavation and preparation of the site for the 6 million gallon service reservoir at Ngau Tau Kok neared completion and tenders were received for the construction of the reservoir. (g) A contract was let for the construction of the second half of the
Lai Chi Kok Service Reservoir.
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(h) Trunk Mains. Approximately 5,000 ft. of 30" diameter steel pipe laid in Kwun Tong and Ngau Tau Kok Roads for the proposed new reservoir at Ngau Tau Kok.
(i) The new pumphouse at Garden Road was completed, and the new pumping equipment was installed and put into service. The existing equipment was transferred from the old station which has since been demolished.
(j) Good progress was made on the construction of the new catch- waters and ancillary works, contracts being let for approximately 51,500 ft. of catchwater and 16,700 ft. of tunnel. The settling basin dam and tunnel at Sham Tseng were completed and work continued on access roads and new sections of the catchwater, including further tunnelling work.
334. Delay was experienced, however, on construction of the northern group of catchwaters, owing to opposition from neighbouring villagers who feared that the catchwaters would deprive them of water during the dry season. Efforts were made to explain the scheme to the villagers but the dispute is still unsettled, and work on this particular section of the catchwater system was at a standstill.
335. During the year approximately 31,600 ft. of catchwater chan- nels were constructed, 12,000 ft. of tunnel driven and approximately four and half miles of access roads built. Survey work continued for the construction of the balance of the catchwater channels.
New Reservoir-Lantao Island
336. Following the Consulting Engineers' report on the site for a proposed dam at Shek Pik, a contract was drawn up with a specialist firm with the object of rendering the ground suitable for a dam foundation by the application of a clay cement grouting method used successfully under similar conditions in Europe. A test length was to be treated in the first instance, and if successful the work would be extended over the full area. A jetty and various buildings including staff quarters were constructed, road construction put in hand and. following the arrival of plant and personnel from Europe, work on the test section commenced. Good progress was made, the 'boxing off" of the test section being completed and grouting commenced. To avoid loss of time in the event of the tests proving successful, borings were sunk in the vicinity of the dam site to investigate the quantities of suitable material available for use in the dam and surveys carried out at proposed sites for the pumping station and treatment works.
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Western New Territories Supply-Stage I
337. The inadequate supply to the Ping Shan and Yuen Long areas through one 5′′ and one 6′′ main from the Hung Shui Hang Intake was mentioned in last year's report. Their replacement by four and half miles of 12" diameter main from the intake to Yuen Long Market was completed and the pressure in the above areas was greatly improved.
338. In addition, an 8′′ supply main about four and half miles long from Tai Lam Chung to supply Castle Peak Market and San Hui neared completion, and an access road was formed to the site of a proposed 1 million gallon service reservoir to serve the Tai Lam Chung, Castle Peak and San Hui areas.
Deep Well Investigation-New Territories
339. Six boreholes were drilled at selected sites by a specialist firm, with varying success, and a seventh was under way at the end of the year. They ranged in depth from 92 ft. to 315 ft. The best results were obtained from one at San Tin, which was sunk to a depth of 186 ft. and yielded an average of 4,300 gallons per hour of good quality water over a 72-hour period. The next best results were obtained from a 110 ft. deep borehole sited near Ping Shan, which yielded the much smaller quantity of 860 gallons per hour over a 4-day period. The remaining four holes were abandoned owing to negligible yield, but the one being drilled at Chuk Yuen showed promise; an initial test indicated a yield of approximately 5,000 gallons per hour.
New Territories Supply
MISCELLANEOUS WORKS
340. (a) Tai O Supply-Tai O is a fishing village of about 10,000 inhabitants situated on the north-west coast of the Island of Lantao. It had no piped water supply and the inhabitants depended on wells which were very inadequate. Schemes for the provision of a piped water supply to this village had been under consideration for some time. After a considerable amount of preliminary investigations it was finally decided to construct a small dam to impound approximately half million gallons at about the 300 ft. contour in the Yi O Valley, which is about three miles to the south of Tai O, and pipe the water through a 6" diameter pipeline to the village. The dam has been completed and approximately 10,000 ft. of pipeline laid.
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(b) Supply to Ting Kau-One of the new catchwaters under con- struction deprived houses in this area of their source of supply. To compensate for this, work on the construction of a small intake dam and screen tank, the installation of chlorinating equipment and the laying of approximately 6,500 ft. of 4" diameter pipeline has commenced.
Irrigation-New Territories
341. Extensive damage was caused by heavy rains in May and June to a number of diversion dams, channels and river embankments, but before the end of the year all repair work had been completed. A number of diversion dams and about 7,000 ft. of channelling were repaired as routine maintenance work. In addition, seven new diversion dams were constructed, 10,000 ft. of irrigation channels lined with concrete and five wells, approximately 6 ft. in diameter and 30 ft. deep, were sunk. Preliminary investigations were carried out for the prepara- tion of a comprehensive five year programme of irrigation works.
Waterworks Staff Quarters
342. The majority of pumping stations and filtration plants are situated in isolated places away from the urban districts, and as they have to be in operation practically every day for the full twenty four hours the afternoon and night shift workers find difficulty in getting to and from work. Accordingly quarters have been built at Tsuen Wan and Garden Road for pumping station staff and construction of a 3-storey block for the filtration staff at Tsuen Wan neared completion.
Tai Wo Ping Resettlement Area
343. A 40,000 gallon storage tank to serve this area was almost completed, and work commenced on the construction of a pumphouse and the laying of the pumping main.
Salt Water Supply Scheme
344. Only a small percentage of the premises in Hong Kong and Kowloon are allowed to use mains water for flushing, the remainder depending on wells, stream intakes or sea water. Many of the wells and the streams run dry during the winter months and fresh water is then wastefully used for flushing. In order to conserve mains water schemes were prepared for the provision of sea water from the harbour for this
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purpose. Orders have been placed for pumping equipment and pipes, and surveys were carried out to locate service reservoir sites.
Fluoridation
345. The subject of fluoridation was given considerable attention. As a result of inquiries with various manufacturers of suitable equip- ment, and also as a result of an inspection of a plant already in operation in Singapore, a specification was prepared and manufacturers invited to tender.
Revenue and Expenditure
346. Water accounts were, as usual, sent out quarterly and supple- mentary and miscellaneous accounts rendered as due. Approximately 236,753 water accounts were dealt with, compared with 219,644 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 con- struction purposes remained unchanged.
Future Supplies
347. It was realized that the new Shek Pik Reservoir Scheme would not solve the water problem or permit an unrestricted supply and that there were no other areas left in the Colony where a large reservoir could be formed without interfering unduly with agriculture. The deep well drilling undertaken indicated that underground supplies were negligible, and it was therefore essential to find other sources of supply.
348. The local press carried reports which claimed that new pro- cesses had been developed, and that salt water could be made potable relatively cheaply. Inquiries were made, and from the information obtained it seemed that distillation is the most feasible method of treating salt water and that it might be an economic proposition if associated with other heat-using processes. A number of British and foreign manufacturers, who specialize in this type of work, were requested to put forward schemes and quote for supplying equipment capable of producing twenty million gallons per day of potable water from sea water. Four firms submitted draft schemes and one more is awaited.
349. Conditions at some of the coastal areas indicate that it might be possible to convert certain sea inlets into fresh water lakes, and some exploratory work has been undertaken.
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KAI TAK AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
Consulting Engineers. Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick
and Partners.
350. The bulk of the dredging involved in the reclamation for the new airport was completed by the end of October, while some minor operations, mainly pumping up a reserve supply of sand, continued until the beginning of December. It had been hoped to complete the demolition of the Kowloon Hills by January, but in the latter stages of the excavation large quantities of rock were encountered which delayed the work, and by the end of March there were still some 130,000 cu. yds. to be removed. This, however, did not affect the overall completion date for the contract.
351. In April the contractors started to crush and stockpile stone for the construction of the runway and taxiway, and at the beginning of November they started to lay the crushed stone base course. Work on the asphalt surfacing began at the end of November and by the end of March forty three per cent of the surfacing and sixty nine per cent of the crushed stone base had been laid. By this date surface water drainage, the 72 inch foul sewer and the laying of fire mains neared completion. This contract as a whole was up to programme.
352. In January, a contract was awarded for the Nullah Realign- ment and Bridges, and a good start made. In February, the General Electric Co. were awarded the contract drawn up by Messrs. Preece. Cardew & Rider for the Airport Operational Lighting and Electrical Installation. Orders have been placed in England for the necessary cabling and equipment, the installation of which will be undertaken by the British General Electric Co., Hong Kong.
353. By the end of March, tenders had been received for a contract prepared by Messrs. Eric Cumine for the construction of the new Airport Fire Station and Temporary Control Tower, while plans for the new Aircraft Terminal Apron had been approved, and the preparation of a contract for this work was nearing completion. Detailed sketch plans for the new Terminal Building were submitted by Messrs. Ramsey, Murray, White and Ward, but these were still under con- sideration, as were the plans for the new Freight Building and roads and car parks in the terminal area.
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#
GRAPHIC SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
EXPENDITURE FOR THE TEN YEARS 1949/50 to 1957/58
AND ESTIMATED FOR 1958/59
250-
NOTE.
THAT PORTION OF THE GRAPH HATCHED THUS
EXPENDITURE ON THE TAI LAM CHUNG WATER SUPPLY SCHEME.
INDICATES THE
250
240
240
230
230
THAT PORTION HATCHED
INDICATES THE EXPENDITURE ON THE
220
220
KAI TAK AIR PORT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME.
210
210-
PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS AND OTHER CHARGES SHEWN THUS
200
200-
IN MILLIONS of H.K.$
190-
TOTAL
180-
RECURRENT EXPENDITURE
NORMAL
NON-RECURRENT EXPENDITURE
OVERALL EXPENDITURE
190
NON-RECURRENT EXPENDITURE
A 180
L 170
160-4
150
EXPENDITURE
140-
130-
(20
110-
100-
90
80
Recurrent + Personal
Emoluments.)
170
160
FISO
140
130
120
110
F100
Buny
Overall
Expenditur
70
60
Kai Tak
40
30-1
Non-Recurrent
Expenditure
including
Normal
Non-Recurrent Expenditure
20-
90
80
70
60
50
40
·
30
-20
10
Recurrent
Expenditure
Personal Emoluments
1949/50 1950/51 1951/52 1952/53 1953/$4
* Other Charges
1954/55 1955/56 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59
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LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES
Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick and Partners
354. Early in December the Consulting Engineers were appointed to prepare reports on five reclamation schemes, at Tai Po, Sha Tin, Gin Drinker's Bay, Junk Bay and Castle Peak, and on two roads, the Lead Mine Pass Road and the Kowloon Foothills Road. The reports on the Tai Po reclamation and the two roads were to be prepared first, and submitted within six months of the date of appointment.
355. By the end of March, marine borings at Tai Po and Sha Tin had been completed, and other surveys and investigations in connexion with the Tai Po scheme were well advanced. Route reconnaissances had been undertaken for both of the roads, and field survey work for the Lead Mine Pass Road was virtually complete.
EXPENDITURE
356. The total expenditure under all heads including works carried out by consultants amounted to $174,614,000 compared with $160,212,000 for the previous year. Of this, some $117,718,000 was spent on major public works and $30,563,000 on recurrent main- tenance. Administrative costs, salaries and other charges accounted for $22,957,000.
357. The following comparative statement illustrated graphically on the opposite page shows the expenditure on Public Works during the years 1949/50 to 1957/58, and reference to the graph indicates the extent to which expenditure on personal emoluments has lagged behind the value of works carried out.
Financial year
Personal Emolu- ments & other charges
Recurrent Expenditure
Non-recurrent
Total
$
$
S
1949/50 ...
3,932,000
12,975.000
34,086,000
50.993.020
1950/51
4,051,000
14,473,000
28,324,000
46,848,000
1951/52
7.401.000
14,937,000
25.010.000
47.348.000
1952/53
12.742.000
17.887.000
44,971,000
75.600.000
1953/54
16,277.000
19,629,000
39,146,000
75.052.000
1954/55.
16,888,000
17.480,000
48,477,000
82.845.000
1955/56...
18,646,000
18,629,000
86,215,000
123,490,000
1956/57
21.048,000
21,113.000
118,051,000
160.212.000
1957/58
22.957,000
30.563,000
121,094,000
174,614,000
1958/59
30.976,000
29,977,000
186,750,000
247,703,000
(Estimated)
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REVENUE
358. Revenue collected by the Department totalled $47,654,000, the principle items being premia from sales of Crown Land $23,780,000, fees for temporary occupation of similar land $2,835,000, sale of water $11,790,000, sale of crushed stone $3,414,000, other receipts $5,835,000.
Canteens
STAFF WELFARE
359. The office staff employed in the main Government Offices block enjoyed the amenities of the communal canteen on the lower ground floor, and the recently opened Waterworks canteen at the Bullock Lane Depot proved popular.
Sports, Picnics, etc.
360. Teams from the various sub-departments competed in local football and athletic competitions as well as for departmental trophies, including the 'Littlejohn' Trophy for table tennis, the 'Mirams' Challenge Shield for Football and the 'Woodman's' Challenge Cup for miniature football.
361. Probably the most successful was the Electrical and Mechanical Office, which won the Third Division Championship of the Hong Kong Football Association without incurring a single defeat and as a result was promoted to the Second Division. This same office entered three teams for the 'Littlejohn' Table Tennis Trophy and again had the honour of winning it with their crack 'C' team, the runner-up being the Port Works Office.
362. The Waterworks Office Kowloon Depot 'A' team carried off the 'Woodman's' Challenge Shield and was placed 5th in the Chinese Civil Servants' Association Football Shield series.
363. The recently formed Athletic Club of the Crown Lands and Survey Office continued to prosper. Successful launch picnics, swim- ming parties and hiking trips were also oragnized by the same office. The Drainage Office staff also preferred launch picnics to competitive
team events.
Welfare Officers
364. The Headquarters Directorate and the heads of sub-depart- ments continued to encourage outdoor staff activities and make themselves readily available to all members in need of advice or assistance in their official or private lives.
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APPRECIATION
365. This report would be incomplete without grateful acknowledge- ment to my staff. Although the number of expatriate officers was less than the previous year, total expenditure was greater by $14,402,000, and this would not have been possible except for the unrelenting effort of all officers. To them I wish to express my sincere thanks for their loyal and conscientious service.
A. INGLIS, A.M.I.C.E., Director of Public Works.
June, 1958.
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