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Points to Note for Routine Maintenance Inspections and Engineer Inspection for Maintenance of Slopes (for aided schools)
PART I Routine Maintenance Inspection (RMI)
1. As stipulated in the “Laymen’s Guide to Slope Maintenance” issued by the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) (a full copy is available at the below link), RMI should be carried out at least once every year to ascertain the need for basic maintenance works items:
http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/publications/leaflets/doc/layman_guide_on_slope _maintenance_eng.pdf
2. Since the primary purpose of RMI is to establish the need for basic maintenance of man-made items, e.g. clearance of accumulated debris from drainage channels and slope surface, repair of cracked or damaged drainage channels or pavement, etc, such inspections do not demand professional geotechnical knowledge and can be carried out by any responsible person, including property management staff or maintenance staff. For further details on carrying out RMI, schools may refer to the aforesaid Laymen‟s Guide.
3. Once the need for repairs works items is established, heads of aided schools with slopes under schools‟ maintenance responsibility may consider applying from EDB for non-recurrent grants to carry out the required works. Schools requiring assistance may approach the respective senior school development officers (SSDO) / EDB term consultants to confirm whether-
(i) the required works should be included in its application in the annual MR exercise (mainly for minor repairs works, e.g. repair of cracked drainage channels / slope surface, unblocking of weepholes, etc.) ; (ii) the required works should be handled through ER (minor routine
maintenance works with emergency); or
(iii) the required works should be carried out through self-delivery mode (comparatively large scale preventive maintenance works for which a consultant has to be appointed)
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PART II Engineer Inspection (EI) for Maintenance
1. An Engineer Inspection for Maintenance should be conducted at least once every five years by a geotechnical engineer professionally qualified in Hong Kong. A suitable qualification is Registered Professional Engineer (Geotechnical), information on which can be obtained from the Engineer Registration Board. The list can be obtained from the following link under the Homepage of the Buildings Department.
http://www.bd.gov.hk/english/inform/index_ap.html
2. To apply for non-recurrent grants to carry out an EI for slopes under the maintenance responsibility of a school, the school supervisor should nominate a geotechnical engineer and seek approval from the respective SSDO using the application form at the Annex. The SSDO will forward the applications to the ArchSD for recommendation of appointment of the engineer. Upon approval, the engineer inspection will start. A model brief for engineer inspections for maintenance, is available at the “Layman's Guide to Slope Maintenance” issued by the GEO.
Education Bureau October 2013
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Annex
Application Form for Non-recurrent Grants to carry out Engineer Inspection To : Senior School Development Officer ( ), Education Bureau
(1) Name of School : (2) Address :
(3) Relevant sections of the lease conditions on maintenance responsibility of
slope(s)/retaining wall(s) of the school and the site plan attached to the lease
Copies attached
Copies of the lease/site plan not available
(please √ as appropriate)
(4) Date of last engineer inspection for maintenance of the slope(s)/retaining wall(s) : _______________________________
(5) Name of engineer proposed to be appointed : _____________________
(6) I attach the following documents prepared by the engineer :-
(i) Location plan with GEO registration number showing the location and extent of the slope(s)/retaining wall(s) and the lot boundary of the school;
(ii) Proposed scope of services in the form of „Model Brief for Engineer Inspections for Maintenance‟ given in the Layman’s Guide to Slope Maintenance issued by the GEO); and
(iii) Fee proposal*.
(7) I certify that the slope(s)/retaining wall(s) mentioned in (3) and (6)(i) are under the maintenance responsibility of my school in accordance with the lease conditions.
Signature of Supervisor/School Head : Name of Supervisor/School Head : Date :
* The agreement should be priced on the basis of the tasks included in Part 1-6 of Section 4 only (please refer to the afore-mentioned Model Brief for details). The fee for the tasks in Part 7 of Section 4, if found necessary, should be negotiated separately.
