Case Studies

 

Shatin Government Offices

 

Notable Features
bullet Steel structure with concrete core
bullet Bonbed slabs
bullet Stone-clad precast façade
bullet Raised access floor
bullet Steel-clad metal demountable partitioning

Basic Information
Location:
Sheung Woo Che Road, Pai Tau Street Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Building Type :
Office space
Contract Period:

27 months. Began in August 1999. Superstructure started in October 2000

Contract Sum :
HK$780 million
Architect :
Architectural Services Department
Main Contractor :
Hong Kong Construction
Façade Technology :
Meinhardt Façade Technology
.
Overview

The 16-storey office building was built with a central concrete core and a steel frame which supports profiled steel decking of the floor slabs. The main issues considered were:

 long life (long-span steel frame), flexibility, a steel structure can achieve large spans that maximize the flexibility for office space planning, and energy conservation.

Flexibility was achieved with the omission of intermediate columns and with the use of the raised floor system and demountable partitions. The building is more adaptable to new users and therefore the life of the building is extended. Also steel is recyclable.

This project used design and built concept, and had the advantage that all members of the team (design, production and construction) are as a whole, which eliminated many contractual issues.

 

Central Concrete Core and Steel Frame
The 14m clear span was achieved with less structural depth than with concrete, using high strength steel beams, the webs of which also accommodated bigger voids for the passage of services.
 
 
Raised Floor System

The building floor-to-floor height is 3,950 mm and the ceiling height is 2,500 mm, over a 200 mm raised floor.

   
Stone-concrete Precast Panels

The panels were fabricated in Yuen Long and transported to the site and positioned. The stone from Italy, was assembled face down into the precast steel mold. A joint seal was put between the stones. A plastic sheet and stainless steel pins were disposed and concrete was poured. There are over a thousand panels with a maximum weight for the largest one of 12 tonnes. They were hoisted up and clipped onto adjustable steel brackets, secured from within. The erection was possible without scaffolding and no stone workers were required on-site.

The stone-clad precast facades
Advantages :
- Ease of installation
- Safety
- Uniformity
- Durability
- The system reduces the need for steel in
   the outside environment
Disadvantages :
- Heavier system increasing loads to the
  columns and the foundations.
- Should be considered at an early stage
  of design, as the building frame should be
  pre-designed to accommodate this
  additional façade loading
Contact of Contractor

Hong Kong Construction
http://www.hkconstruction.com

Rm 801,2 East Ocean Centre
98 Granville Road
, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel
:  (852) 2369 3949
Fax:
(852) 2721 5110
Email:info@hkconstruction.com

Sources
- Ralph T., Charting New Territories,
  Shatin Government offices, Asian
  Architect and Contractor.
- Ralph T., The long view from Shatin,
  Shatin Government offices, part II,
  Asian Architect and Contractor.
- Summary of major construction projects,
  Hong Kong Construction (Holdings) Ltd:
http://202.66.146.82/listco/hk/hkconstruction/annual/  2001/sum.pdf
 
 
 

Low-Waste Buildings Technologies & Practices
Home