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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
Continued research and development was key to quality improvements and advances in the construction industry, the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing), Mr Thomas Chan Chun-yuen, said today (January 9).
Mr Chan was addressing more than 300 professionals, including academics and practitioners at the Housing Authority﷿s first seminar on its research and development work. He urged all sectors of the industry to participate in research activities in order to sustain quality improvements.
He was proud of the fact that the authority had, for decades, been conducting research and development activities that could contribute to construction quality and sustainability of public housing. 䩕Many of our research results have evolved into useful and practicable applications,﷿ he said.
The authority has initiated more than 100 R&D activities over the years, including 13 research projects in collaboration with its business partners, local academia and other professional organisations under the Housing Authority Research Fund.
Also addressing at the seminar, Deputy Director of Housing (Development and Construction), Ms Ada Fung said the authority﷿s applied research activities embraced a wide range of topics in the building development and construction processes. These included planning and design, building materials, design tools and methods, construction technologies, management techniques and performance indicators, procurement and contracting, testing, investigation and monitoring techniques, information technology, environment and sustainability.
䩕Of the 108 research projects undertaken by the Housing Department, nine are at exploration stage, 21 are at piloting stage, two are being monitored, 61 have completed, and 15 have been put to massive application,蒅 she said.
䩕We have also applied many of our findings into the public housing development and construction processes so that we can sustain continuous improvement in enhancing cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the quality products and services that we deliver,蒅 she said.
She also said that the Fund programme concluded in late 2005. 䩕The findings are promising and we have been identifying suitable opportunities for their applications in authority projects,蒅 she said.
The findings and applications of the Fund projects were, for the first time, presented in a seminar. The seminar aims to encourage stakeholders in the industry to partner with the authority for continuous improvements.
Fund projects﷿ reports for the seminar has been uploaded onto the HA/HD Web Site (www.housingauthority.gov.hk). Additional information of the authority﷿s research and development activities and the keynote speech will also be uploaded onto the website by stages. Interested parties may log on for more details.
Ends/Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:55
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