Newsletter No. 276

Highways engineers and landscape specialists were called in to give advice, and research was conducted on different grass covers jointly w i th the Depa r t ment of B i o l og y, the De p a r t me nt of Geography and Resource Management, as well as Kadoorie Farm and the CDO. The University enjoys the benefit of having monitored the same batch of slopes for years and therefore has a t ho r ough unde r s t and i ng of their greening effects and maintenance needs. The CDO pointed out that the University's wo rk in this respect has served as reference material, especially in terms of greening effectiveness, biodiversity and preservation, for many government departments and engineering consultants who have paid site visits to CUHK. Two years ago, the rock slope along Central Avenue facing the Mall on main campus was studied and found to be in need of stabilization measures. The consultant engineer proposed the use of over 6,000* rock dowel bars to reinforce the slope. After discussions w i t h in the committee and w i t h the Campus Planning and Building Committee, the committee acquired a second op i n i on f r om a geotechnical expert who redesigned the stabilization method by reducing rock dowel to over 300* bars coupled w i t h localized t r immi ng and buttresses, before the hammer was dropped. 'Safety was clearly the only consideration of the consultant. He hadn 't t hought about the consequences his proposal wo u l d entail — an already na r r ow road wo u l d have to be closed partially to traffic, the noise would affect the library, classrooms and administrative offices nearby. There was no doubt that GEO wo u l d approve of his proposal as it was perfectly in line w i t h safety requirements, but we didn't approve of it because of the disruption it would have caused to the campus community and the visual impact of the dowel anchor heads on the slope,' explained Dr. Hung. The project w i l l be carried out only du r i ng summer vaca t i on to m i n i m i ze d i s t u r bance, and it is scheduled for completion in 2008. Incidentally, the slope faces the Forum (惠園), the garden built to commemorate the architect who designed the University, Mr. Szeto Wai. Mr. Szeto wou ld certainly have smiled approvingly of the committee's persistence in this and many other projects all these years in creating harmony in safety, economy in beauty, and sustainability in progress. Piera Chen 固 坡 護 山 城 一九九七年是香港有紀錄以來最多降 雨量的一年，天文台錄得降雨量達 三千三百四十三毫米，亦發出六次紅雨和 兩次黑雨警告。連場豪雨導致多宗山泥傾 瀉及水浸，中文大學亦受影響。當時的中 大校長李國章敎授翌年成立校園岩土事務 委員會，統籌處理校園的斜坡問題。 委員會的首任主席由工程師兼發明家 熊翰章博士出任。熊博士當年也是大學校 董和崇基校董會主席。他指出，所有相關 政策的大前提是「安全、適時和預防」，而 非補救。「我們維修斜坡時，一直遵照政 府的要求，而在景觀和牽涉環境的情況 時，中大的內部要求更高。政府只要求斜 坡鞏固，但我們要更上層樓。」 所以大學一直主動監察和維修斜坡， 不會等到收到政府的危險斜坡修葺令才著 手處理。在鞏固斜坡之餘，大學也盡力保 護原有樹木和綠化斜坡，更因勢利導，與 校園的小型工程配合，修築捷徑、梯級， 擴闊行人道等，便利校園的行人和駕駛 者，亦可善用資源。工程所需經費可向大 學敎育資助委員會申請「改建、增建和改 善工程」撥款，若要大型維修，則可透過 敎資會向政府申請專項撥款。 過去十年，政府劃撥了四億六千七百 萬元專款予中大，用以修葺斜坡和調查並 維修藏於地下的輸水系統。熊翰章博士表 示，委員會的工作非常有效，效率亦高， 「工程要花多少錢，我們便向政府申請多少 錢，不會佔用政府給大學的經常撥款。」 兩年前，工程顧問經研究後，建議在 中央道的大面積石坡植人六千條傳力杆， 鞏固斜坡。校園岩土事務委員會與校園計 劃及建設委員會商議後，尋求另一名專家 的意見。新方法是局部切削斜坡和加設支 墩，可將傳力杆減至三百餘條。 熊博士解釋：「顧問的考慮重點在於安 全，而工程百分百符合安全要求，政府的 土力工程處毫無疑問會批准。但我們要考 慮其他影響，例如中央道很窄，施工期間 要封閉部分路面，加上噪音會影響附近的 圖書館、課室和辦公室，對校園造成很大 滋擾，還有那六千條傳力杆的視覺效果也 是一個問題。」 大學結果採納了第二方案，並限定在 暑假施工，以減輕對校園活動的影響，預 計工程可於二零零八年完成。 Current Membership of the Standing Committee on Campus Geotechnical Matters Chairman: To be invited by the Vice-Chancellor (Mr. Kar l Kwo k Chi-leung , Chairma n o f th e Board o f Trustee s o f Chun g Ch i College , member o f th e Universit y Counci l an d th e Campus Plannin g and Building Committee ) Members: • A member associated with the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and/or professional geotechnical consulting firms (Mr. Y.C. Koo, director of Fugro Hong KongLtd .)； • A representative from The Hong Kong Institut e of Landscape Architects (Ms. Salina Lee); • A representative from the Highway s Department (Mr . Eric W.K. Chan); • Directo r of the Campus Developmen t Office , CUHK (Mr . David S.W. Urn) • Directo r of the Estates Management Office , CUHK (Mr . Benny RS . Tam) Secretary: Geotechnica l Enginee r of the CDO Terms of Reference of the Standing Committee on Campus Geotechnical Matters (a) T o deal with various geotechnical problem s on campus; (b) To draw up policies and recommend safet y plans i n relation to (a); (c) T o revie w an d monito r th e progres s o f stability improvemen t works on slopes; (d) To ma p ou t appropriat e geotechnica l strategy an d works programme ; (e) To provid e professiona l advic e an d recommend metho d o r approac h fo r carrying ou t precaution s an d immediat e measures; (f) T o enforce safety and contingency plans ; (g) To mak e recommendation s o n prope r management an d operation of slope works, site formatio n works , excavation , reclamation an d landfill , a s wel l a s landscaping o f slopes etc.; and (h) To undertake any other duties referred to by the Vice-Chancellor . The Forumand the slope behind it 4 第二七六期二零零六年四月四日