Second Report of the Select Committee
on Building Problems of Public Housing Units
May 2004

The Select Committee makes two reports on building problems of public housing units. This is the second of such reports. The Second Report comprises three volumes as follows:

Volume I
Main report including the minutes of proceedings

Volumes IIA to IIB
Minutes of evidence comprising the verbatim transcripts, in their original language, of the public hearings

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Volume I - Main Report

Table of Contents

Chapter		Page
I.	Introduction	1 - 3
II.	Tin Chung Court incident - Background and management structure
	Background	4 - 6
	Management structure for the project	6 - 13
III.	Tin Chung Court - Planning and design
	Ground conditions of the Tin Chung Court site	14 - 15
	Piling design	15 - 24
IV.	Tin Chung Court - Construction
	Work stages and technical requirements	25- 39
	Supervision of works on site	40 - 44
V.	Tin Chung Court - Verification of piling design	45 - 53
VI.	Tin Chung Court - Division of responsibilities in quality assurance	54 - 59
VII.	Conclusions and recommendations on the Tin Chung Court incident
	General Conclusions	60 - 70
	Responsibility of the parties concerned	70 - 75
	Concluding remarks	75 - 76
	Further recommendations	76 - 80
Acknowledgement		81
Signatures of Members of the Select Committee		82 - 83
Abbreviations		87 - 89

		Page
Appendices
Appendix 1	Membership list	93
Appendix 2	List of Witnesses Appearing before the Select Committee to Give Evidence in Relation to Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 Incident	94 - 96
Appendix 3	Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 General Layout Plan	97
Appendix 4	Chronology of Important Activities Relating to Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 Piling Contract	98 - 101
Appendix 5	Summary of the Results of Investigatory Works to Ascertain the Founding Depths of a Number of Piles at Blocks 1 and 2	102
Appendix 6	Organization Chart Showing the Key Personnel Responsible for Piling Contract No. 36/96 Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1	103
Appendix 7	Chronology of the Recruitment of Resident Engineer for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1	104 - 106
Appendix 8	Locations of the 53 Boreholes Sunk by Acer Consultants (Far East) Ltd.	107
Appendix 9	The Layers of Soil underneath Blocks 1 and 2 according to the Acer Report	108 - 109
Appendix 10	Locations of the 24 Boreholes Numbering HY1 to HY24	110
Appendix 11	Static Calculations for Piling Design of Block 1	111 - 114
Appendix 12	Particular Specification 19.43	115
Appendix 13	Locations of Preliminary Piles	116
Appendix 14	Sequence of Final Set of Piles in Block 1	117
Appendix 15	Locations of Boreholes Used in Calculating Settlement of Block 2	118
Lists of Written Evidence		121 - 139
Minutes of Proceedings		143 - 148

Volumes IIA to IIB - Minutes of evidence of public hearings

Table of Contents

Date	Public Hearings	Witness	Volume
The 1st to 19th hearings are in relation to Policies and Working Mechanismsfor the Production of Housing Units Subject to and Exempted fromthe Buildings Ordinance which are not covered by the Second Report.
11 September 2001	20	Mr Stephen POON Sing-chi Former Senior Assistant Director/New Development Housing Department	IIA
13 September 2001	21	Part I Mr Stephen POON Sing-chi Former Senior Assistant Director/New Development Housing Department	IIA
		Part II Ir Alan CLOVER Ir Rupert LEUNG Kwok-yiu Representatives of Hyder Consulting Ltd (formerly known asAcer Consultants (Far East) Ltd)	IIA
18 September 2001	22	Mr Joseph KONG Churk-fan Chief Architect for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIA
20 September 2001	23	Mr YUEN Tze-chu Director's Representative for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIA
25 September 2001	24	Part I Mr Tommy IP Kwok-wing Quantity Surveyor for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIA
		Part II Mr David LEE Sai-cheung Chief Structural Engineer for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIA
27 September 2001	25	Mr David LEE Sai-cheung Chief Structural Engineer for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIA
The 26th hearing was held in camera.
9 October 2001	27	Part I Mr Joseph HO Mr Conrad CHENG Yuk-keg Representatives of Hsin Yieh Architects & Associates Ltd	IIB
		Part II Mr NG Hon-keung Mr MAK Lap-ming Representatives of Joseph Chow & Partners Limited (JMK Consulting Engineers)	IIB
16 October 2001	28	Mr HO Sau-him Director's Representative for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIB
The 29th hearing was held in camera.
23 October 2001	30	Part I Mrs Rosa HO LOK So-fun Liaison Senior Architect for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project Ms Rosman WAI Chui-chi Liaison Senior Architect for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project Mr LI Kar-fai Liaison Architect for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIB
		Part II Mr Francis LEE Kam-chuen Liaison Senior Structural Engineer for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIB
The 31st hearing was held in camera.
30 October 2001	32	Mr Chezy TANG Wai-chau Former Project Structural Director Hsin Yieh Architects & Associates Ltd	IIB
3 November 2001	33	Mr NG Hon-keung Mr MAK Lap-ming Representatives of Joseph Chow & Partners Limited (JMK Consulting Engineers)	IIB
The 34th to 35th hearings were held in camera.
13 November 2001	36	Part I Mr SUEN Pak-chiu Geotechnical Engineer for Tin Shui Wai Area 31 Phase 1 project	IIB
		Part II Mr WONG Chi-ming Representative ofC M Wong & Associates Ltd	IIB
The 37th hearing was held in camera.
20 November 2001	38	Mr NG Hon-keung Mr MAK Lap-ming Representatives of Joseph Chow & Partners Limited (JMK Consulting Engineers)	IIB
The 39th to 41st hearings were held in camera.
The 42th to 64th and 68th hearings are in relation to Shatin Area 14B Phase 2, Shek Yam Estate Phase 2 and Tung Chung Area 30 Phase 3 projects which are not covered by the Second Report.
The 65th to 67th and 69th hearings are in relation to Policies and Working Mechanisms for the Production of Housing Units Subject to and Exempted from the Buildings Ordinance which are not covered by the Second Report.
The 70th hearing was held in camera.