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The following is the response of the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) to media enquiries regarding media reports yesterday (August 17) about the Tamar Development:
In response to the media report regarding welding of parts of the elevated walkway, staff of the ArchSD conducted an inspection yesterday to further examine the actual situation on site. The position concerned was actually the roof gutter connection points. The gutter is for the drain off of rainwater and is not a main structural element for withstanding wind load. As the gutter is not an integral part of the footbridge structure, there is no question of structural stability. For the roof gutter construction, it is actually normal construction practice to have spot weld carried out for alignment purpose prior to full welding. In fact, welding is still taking place at various locations of the elevated walkway across Harcourt Road. The ArchSD will carry out testing and commissioning in accordance with established procedures to ensure that the works meet the required quality and safety standards.
Besides, in response to yesterday's news report on the canopy at the East Wing of the new Government Headquarters at Tamar, ArchSD has also conducted site inspection yesterday, which has confirmed that the structure of the canopy complies with the safety requirements.
As we emphasised on August 16, just like other construction projects, building safety is of top priority. ArchSD will strictly implement quality control and will not accept works not in compliance with requirements.
Ends/Thursday, August 18, 2011
Issued at HKT 00:54
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