| Author: | Yiu, Chun Fai Alvin |
| Title: | A study on the control and monitoring mechanism of external stone cladding used in private projects in Hong Kong |
| Advisors: | Kim, Minkoo (BRE) |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Subject: | Stone veneers -- China -- Hong Kong Curtain walls -- Design and construction Building stones -- China -- Hong Kong Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Building and Real Estate |
| Pages: | xiii, 166, [67] pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Stone is a natural substance with its inherent advantages in durability, strength and final aesthetic quality, it has been thus widely adopted as various kinds of construction material for thousands of years. It was initially utilized in massive stone blocks stacked within loadbearing masonry walls to act as a structural element. Since the widespread use of reinforced concrete and steel structures after their invention, the stone turned to be a building enclosure exclusively as cladding and was no longer to perform its structural function for the buildings in the 20th century. At present, its usage is extensively a thin-veneer cladding with gap sealant not supporting the building. In contrast to its natural strength and origin, the structural position of stone has become a flexural facing rather than a compressive block. (Lewis, 1995). Numerous serious failures have occurred in external stone cladding system worldwide. Some notable examples are the Chicago Amoco Building in USA and Bank of East Asia Headquarter building in Hong Kong. The failure of any stone facade panel might create hazards to pedestrian at street level causing significant catastrophic consequences. Faddy, Wilson and Winter (2003) pinpointed that inadequate knowledge of the nature of thin-skin natural stone and the trade practices of external stone cladding may not impede the building owners and designers to specify its application. If they are unaware of these important criteria together with insufficient legal controls and standards governing proper industry practices. It is not unusual that adverse conditions happen in the design, engineering, selection, production and construction of thin natural stone facades. For the sake of the severe problems and deficiencies that may arise from facade stone cladding, it is worthy of doing a research on the external stone cladding system to examine its current practices, development and major issues occurred in Hong Kong so that comprehensive recommendations on the prevailing control mechanism would be suggested to eradicate life-threatening hazard caused by failures of exterior stone cladding system and enhance its reliability that fit Hong Kong's built environment. The aim of this research is to identify and alleviate substantial failures that may occur in external dimension stone cladding system and extend its service life by improving the current control implemented by the Government and practitioners in Hong Kong. The recommendations suggested in this research paper can bring on noteworthy merits by enhancing the performance and quality of stone cladding system and lower the risk of its failures and deficiencies during the building in service. The findings and outcomes of the research would come up with steady quality and performance suitable for the intended use of the stone cladded facade.Therefore, this paper would describe the major successful factors identified and suggest improvements to the current statutory control and monitoring mechanism that would optimize cost, reliability and public safety of stone cladding system in Hong Kong. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5196.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 8.58 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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