Consent given to resumption of foundation works for public housing development project at Kai Tak Site 2B3
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The spokesman said that since the reading recorded in a settlement monitoring checkpoint installed at the MTR Sung Wong Toi emergency egress point of Tuen Ma Line had reached the pre-set trigger level for suspension of works on June 5, 2023, the relevant foundation works of the aforesaid project within 30 metres from the emergency egress point were suspended on the same day. The Government then made an announcement about the situation on June 7, and the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Housing, the Buildings Department (BD) and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) confirmed the structural safety of the relevant railway facilities while the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and the MTRCL also confirmed the safety of railway operation.
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)'s building professional team subsequently submitted to the ICU and the MTRCL an investigation report on the incident and a proposal of mitigation measures to ensure that the structural safety of the nearby railway facilities concerned would not be affected by the resumption of works. The HA's building professional team then requested for resumption of works.
The investigation report and mitigation measures proposal submitted by the HA indicated that the resumption of works would not affect the structural safety of the railway facilities and safe operation of the railway. The MTRCL has been consulted and agreed that the resumption of works will not affect the structural safety of the railway facilities and the safety of railway operation. The ICU accepted the proposal for the resumption of works. The ICU, the BD and the MTRCL have inspected the railway facilities and confirmed that they are structurally safe. The EMSD has reviewed the monitoring data submitted by the MTRCL in relation to safe operation of the railway and confirmed that the condition of the railway meets the operational safety requirements. The EMSD has also confirmed that the MTRCL had put in place stringent monitoring measures to ensure the safety of railway operation.
After the consideration of relevant advice and the mitigation measures proposed by the HA, the request for resumption of works was accepted today, and the relevant suspended foundation works were also resumed today. The ICU has accepted the detailed engineering analyses and the revised plans submitted by the HA's building professional team to amend the emergency egress point's pre-set settlement trigger level for suspension of works to 36 millimetres. The HA's building professional team has confirmed that such an extent of settlement will not affect the structural safety of the railway facilities concerned. The MTRCL has also confirmed that the revised trigger level will not affect the safety of railway operation.
The ICU and the MTRCL will continue to monitor closely the situation and maintain close communication with the BD and the EMSD to uphold the structural safety of the railway facilities and the safety of railway operation.
Ends/Thursday, August 10, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:00
Issued at HKT 18:00
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