For discussion PWSC(97-98)6
on 23 April 1997

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 703 - BUILDINGS
Education - Primary
187EP - Second primary school in area 57, Tseung Kwan O
188EP - First primary school in area 57, Tseung Kwan O

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of projects 187EP and 188EP to Category A at an estimated total cost of $147.6 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of two primary schools in area 57, Tseung Kwan O.

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PROBLEM
PROPOSAL
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
JUSTIFICATION
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
LAND ACQUISITION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school project with the estimated costs of the proposed school projects

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PROBLEM

There will be a shortfall of 207 primary school classes in school zone 335 (Tseung Kwan O East) by the year 1999.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to upgrade the following projects to Category A at an estimated total cost of $147.6 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices -

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The two primary schools will be standard design school buildings. Each school will have -

1. 30 classrooms;
2. four special rooms;
3. three remedial teaching rooms;
4. a guidance activity/interview room;
5. two interview rooms;
6. a staff common room;
7. a student activity centre;
8. a library;
9. an assembly hall; and
10. ancillary facilities.

JUSTIFICATION

4. At present, four primary schools are providing a total of 120 classes for school zone 335 (Tseung Kwan O East). The supply of primary school classes in this school zone will increase to 270 classes upon the completion of projects 162EP "Two primary schools in area 59, Tseung Kwan O" and 193EP "Second primary school in area 37, Tseung Kwan O" in the year 1997, and 186EP "Two primary schools in area 55, Tseung Kwan O"in the year 1998. The Director of Education (D of E) however forecasts that the demand for primary school places in this school zone will reach 477 classes in the year 1999, resulting in a shortfall of 207 classes. In order to reduce the shortfall, we need to provide the proposed two whole-day primary schools in the year 1999. We will meet the remaining shortfall in the future school building programme.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

5. We estimate the capital costs of projects 187EP and 188EP to be $73.8 million each in MOD prices (see paragraph 6 below), made up as follows -

A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school with the project estimates of these two projects is at the Enclosure.

6. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -

7. We have derived the MOD estimates on the basis of the Government’s forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1997 to 2001. We will tender the works under a fixed-price lump-sum contract because we can clearly define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

8. We estimate the annually recurrent expenditure for each school to be $15.8 million. As the new schools will be aided schools, the individual sponsoring bodies will bear the costs of furniture and equipment, estimated at $2.1 million for each school.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

9. We consulted the Community Affairs Committee of the Sai Kung District Board in February 1997. The Committee supported the school projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

10. The Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) vetted the Preliminary Environmental Reviews for projects 187EP and 188EP in February 1995. DEP concluded that the proposed two schools would be subject to traffic noise impact in excess of the maximum levels allowed in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, if no suitable mitigation measures are provided to the two schools. We will implement the following environmental mitigation measures and have included their costs in the project estimates -

11. For short term construction impacts, we will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during construction to comply with established guidelines/standards through the implementation of mitigation measures required in the relevant contracts.

LAND ACQUISITION

12. The two projects do not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

13. We upgraded projects 187EP and 188EP to Category B in July 1995.

14. We have completed site investigations for the two projects. We are finalizing working drawings and tender documents using in-house staff resources. D Arch S plans to start the construction works in November 1997 for completion in August 1999.

Education and Manpower Branch
April 1997
(KK200)

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Enclosure to PWSC(97-98)6

A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school project with the estimated costs of the proposed school projects

* Assumptions for standard cost

1. No site formation work/geotechnical work is required as it is normally carried out under a separate engineering vote.

2. Piling cost is based on 110 nos. of steel H-piles of an average depth of 30 metres.

3. Site safety provisions of 2% of the estimated contract sum (excluding contingencies) is included in the building cost.

4. Costs for drainage and external works is for a standard school site area of 6 200 square metres built on a flat site. No diversion of existing utilities or noise mitigation measures are required.

5. No consultancy services are required.

6. Furniture and equipment cost is excluded as it is usually borne by the sponsoring body.

Notes

A. Piling cost for each school is based on 120 nos. of steel H-piles of an average depth of 40 metres.

B. Building cost is $1.8 million higher because we plan to adopt a new method of construction, the "system design", for these two schools (as well as three other secondary schools under projects 202ES and 209ES to be considered vide PWSC(97-98)7). Under the "system design" construction method, we will require the use of steel formwork and prefabricated structural and non-structural elements, in place of timber formwork and other on-site construction activities. This approach has been employed by the Housing Authority (HA) in the past five years and has proven to be very successful. The use of "system design" building will minimise construction waste, improve the quality of construction, reduce labour on-site and, in the longer term, reduce construction time. Although suitably experienced contractors in adoting "system design" are available as a result of the HA projects, the number is still limited. The additional specification of "system design" in these school projects may lead to higher contract prices. We have therefore made an allowance of $1.8 million in the project estimate. The exact cost implications will depend on competitive tendering in the usual way.

C. The drainage and external works cost is higher because of the construction of 4 metres high solid boundary walls as noise mitigation measures.

(KK200)

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