Consent given to resume building works of topside development at Ho Man Tin Station
A Government spokesman said today (August 21) that consent was given to resume the building works of the topside private development project at Ho Man Tin Station (the Project).
The spokesman said that since the reading recorded in a settlement monitoring checkpoint installed at the subway connecting Chung Hau Street, Fat Kwong Street and Ho Man Tin Station exceeded the pre-set trigger level, the piling works of the Project were suspended on September 19, 2019. The Government announced the situation on September 20, 2019, and the Buildings Department (BD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) respectively confirmed the structural safety of the relevant railway facilities and safe operation of the railway.
The registered building professional appointed for the said building works subsequently submitted to the BD an incident report and a proposal of mitigation measures to alleviate the effects of the said building works on the structural safety of the nearby railway facilities. The registered building professional then requested resumption of the suspended works.
The BD has confirmed the structural safety of the railway facilities concerned. The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has been consulted and confirmed that the resumption of works will not affect the structural safety of the railway facilities and safe operation of the railway. The EMSD, which regulates and monitors the safety of railway operation according to the Mass Transit Railway Ordinance (Cap. 556) and its subsidiary regulations, has also confirmed the safe operation of the railway. Regarding the resumption of works, the EMSD has also confirmed that the MTRCL has put in place stringent monitoring measures to ensure the safety of railway operation.
Having considered the above advice, the request for resumption of works was accepted today and the suspended building works will be resumed in phases starting on August 28. The registered contractor of the Project will resume the works outside the area affected by the ground settlement. For building works within the area affected by the ground settlement (i.e. the area near the affected subway), the proposed grouting works as mitigation measures are required to be completed first and an assessment of the grouting works upon their completion is required to be submitted to the BD. The registered contractor could only commence the remaining works near the subway after having obtained the BD's satisfaction with regard to the effectiveness of the grouting works.
Upon comprehensive and detailed engineering analyses with results indicating an estimated extent of settlement within 71 millimetres, the registered structural engineer of the Project has confirmed that the structural safety of the subway would not be affected by such an extent of settlement. In respect of the geotechnical engineering and public road facilities issues, the Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Civil Engineering and Development Department and the Highways Department have respectively accepted the analyses and estimation of the predicted settlement by the registered structural engineer. As the proposed amendment has fulfilled the requirements of the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123), the BD has accepted the pre-set trigger level for the subway to be revised to 71mm. The MTRCL has also indicated that the revised pre-set trigger level will not affect the safety of railway operation.
Having considered the circumstances of Ho Man Tin Station, the BD has imposed extra conditions when approving the piling and excavation amendment plans, requiring implementation of a series of measures to enhance site supervision and the safety of works when carrying out the remaining works.
The BD, the EMSD and the MTRCL will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure the structural safety of the railway facilities and the safe operation of the railway, the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, August 21, 2020