Topic: Site Formation

Presentation prepared by

Raymond Wong

January 2010
Purpose of site formation is for:
Forming of land by cutting & leveling of an
uneven, sloppy or congested area.
Accommodate building/s or other facilities
which will be placed within the area.
Form the land to the required orientation,
shape or levels in order to accommodate such
facilities.
Provide the required back-up facilities including
access roadways, drainage and other related
services, both temporary or permanent in
nature.
What works are usually involved in site
formation projects in Hong Kong
Clearance of the site including the removal of
buildings or unwanted structures, shrubs and
trees, surface soil and debris.
Excavation by cutting into slope or other land
area to get the required/extra land
Leveling of the land by necessary cutting or
filling to get a piece of flat or terraced land.
Stabilize natural or new slope within the site.
Construct retaining wall (as part of the slope
stabilization or trimming to terraced land).
Forming of access road and drainage system
 Previous old buildings
being demolished

Site level after formation

Public
Road Site level after formation

New plantation

Public
Road

Site Boundary

New retaining wall

Compare existing and new ground profile

before and after the site formation
 Clearance of the site including the removal of buildings
or unwanted structures, shrubs and trees, surface soil
and debris.
- usually done by the use of bulldozer,
scraping or other excavating machines

Scraping machine so
designed with a blade to
scrape and level large
area of land

Bulldozer machine

blade
 Excavation by cutting into slope or other land
area to get the required/extra land
Leveling of the land by necessary cutting or
filling to get a piece of flat or terraced land.
 Stabilize natural
or new slope
within the site.
Construct retaining wall (as part of the slope stabilization
or trimming to terraced land).
 Forming of access road and drainage system
Some site formation project cases
as an introduction to start our lecture
A site formation project in Ap Lei Chau, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
The site as seen in 2008
A residential development project at Ap Lei Chau
Choi Wan area in 2000
Choi Wan area in 2007
Choi Wan area in 2008
 See also following
photos

Forming of large piece of terraced land to accommodate

new building developments (Choi Wan formation)
New land being formed along
New Clear Water Bay Road
Terraces (smaller strips of flatter land platform) at various
levels were formed at the later stage of formation process
New land being formed
near Jordan Valley
Choi Wan area in 2009
Another example of large scale formation project - The Anderson Road site formation
 Area A

Anderson area in 2008

Area B

Area C
Area A at Junction of
Clear Water Bay Road
and Anderson Road
Area B west slope
near Shun Lee Estate
 Area B west slope
near Shun Lee Estate

Shun Lee Estate

Area C north slope nea
Sau Mau Ping Estate
The actual view on site
The actual view on site
The same location as seen in
mid 2011 and mid 2012
The actual view on site
The actual view on site
from Sau Mau Ping Estate
Start constructing the public estate once
after the preliminary completion of the
lower part of the site formation .
Actual cases of site formation
for building works
First important work requires for site formation, slope
work or to support deep excavation:

using of cut-off wall to support the cut

Cut off wall can be in several type or form, usually in:

Sheet pile wall
Soldier pile wall
Pipe-pile wall (mini-pile)
Bore-pile wall
Diaphragm wall
Case example
Annex building of City University
Site formation to obtain a terraced land for the placing of a building
- producing a retaining structure to support an adjacent structure
Sequence showing the forming of a
multi-construction retaining wall
using bore-pile and soldier-pile wall
with in-situ concrete facing wall
Covering the retaining pile walls
with reinforced concrete
Completion of the site formation
with the retaining wall and the
terrace ground formed
Case example Festival walk
Site formation for Festival Walk
Tat Chee Avenue

KCRC Kowloon
Tong Station

Diaphragm wall being

constructed as cut-off walling
for site formation and
basement construction
Completion of the site
formation leveled to
KCRC Station KCRC Kowloon
Tong Station

Stage 2 work
construction of the
basement
Complicated site
environment of Festival
Walk
MTR tunnels running across
the site
diaphragm wall, bore-pile
foundation, site formation and
basement excavation almost
worked at the same time
 Approximate profile
of slope before site
formation

Construction of the main

structure of Festival Walk
upon the completion of
the site formation
 Forming of a temporary vertical cut as part
of the site formation work to acquire land for
the placing in of the main/basement structure

Diaphragm wall
panel tie back using
ground anchor
Case example
Formation for the South China
Sport Association extension facility
 Site formation
Extension to South
China Sport Association

Cut-off wall formed by

contiguous bored piles
and soldier piles
Site formation
Extension to South
China Sport Association

Cut-off wall formed by

contiguous bored piles
and soldier piles
Site formation
Extension to South
China Sport Association
 Site formation
Extension to South
Preserved tree
(die afterward) China Sport Association
Site formation
preservation of a protected tree species
Case example
MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station
Tree under preservation
by encasing with a
concrete trough and
supported using
horizontal steel pipes

Other examples with tree to be

preserved in a development
KCR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station
View of the preserved
tree and the re-touched
landscape environment
after the completion of
the station complex

The preserved
tree grow in
healthy condition
along the re-
aligned road side
Case example CityU Academic Building 3
Works in the project include:
1. Cut-back and level the site along the existing access roadway by about
30m
2. Cut and stabilize the newly formed slope including necessary
temporary surface treatment and other retaining structures.
3. Provide surface and sub-soil drainage on the newly formed slope.
4. Construct the new foundation in average 2m bore-pile for the future
building.
5. Substructure of the future building including cutting into slope for
locating the foundation rafts or caps.
6. Other safety and environmental protection provisions as required.
The site as seen in 2005
The site as seen in 2009
Early stage of site as seen in June 2008
(contract commenced in November 2007)
 First stage of
slopework being
completed with
temporary surface
treatment using
planting of grass

2nd stage of
cutting as well as
forming a
temporary
accessway for
working machines

Machine (reverse
circulation drill)
for the forming of
the bore-pile as
foundation for the
future building

Site layout as seen in September 2008

Site condition as seen
in November 2008

Large amount of rock

stratum located on the
bottom area of slope
need to be cut in the
final stage of formation
Close-up view of
the bed-rock
before the cutting
Site condition as seen
in January 2009

Lower
portion of
slope being
removed

Previous
retaining
wall to be
demolition

Approx.
slope
profile
before site
formation
 Tree to be
preserved

Toe of
slope
stabilized
using soil
nail

Bed-rock cut to the

required profile as
in February 2009
Site condition as seen in August 2009
Site condition as seen in November 2009
Site condition as seen in November 2009
Sub-structure including raft foundation, pile cap and ground beams start
construction on the new formation level
 Ma Tau Wai Service
Reservoir Playground

Lok Man
Sun Chuen

Tin Kwong Road

Police
Headquarters

Case example
Private Residential Development project in Ma Tau Wai
Site formation to provide
land for the construction of
a public housing estate
(Lok Man Sun Chuen,
completed in early 1970s)

Police Staff Quarters

and its neighborhood
environment

Condition of site
in mid 1960s
 Condition of site in 2006

The Site

Ma Tau Wai Street

Kau Pui Lung Road

Tin Kwong Road

Location of site
Site formation (overview)

Private Residential Development project in Ma Tau Wai

Slope cutting and
to form a flatten
terrace on the
higher side of the
site to locate the
upper part of the
podium
Cutting into a part of
slope to form a 40m
x 50m x 30m high
recess for the placing
of a core wall by the
use of cut-off pile
wall as support
Part of the slope being cut and
with the core wall for the future
tower block being located
Site formation preliminarily completed and start
the construction of the building
The future building constructed
over the slope and new land
formed by site formation and
slope cutting
Core wall inside podium
structure seated onto the
vertical cut-back of slope
formed previously
Stage 1 using Open Cut Excavation
Temp shoring
Tower
blocks

Transfer plate
constructed in
sections

podium

Podium construction
using top-down approach

Ground level

Bore-pile for
residential tower

Bore-pile and Pre-bore

pipe-pile as cut-off
walling provision
Basement/semi basement
approaching the remaining
slope portion

Sheung Shing Street

entrance
 Advancing of the
basement raft

Close-up look of the complicated shoring detail

The final wall

Detail seeing the construction

of basement at various odd
and challenging locations
Preservation of a
protected tree species
using soldier pile walling
 Estate entrance at
Sheung Shing Street

The protected tree forming part of

the landscape provisions near the
entrance to the estate
Case example
Redevelopment of the
Marine Police Headquarters
Site formation (overview)

Redevelopment of the Marine

Police Headquarters
Early 2005
End 2005
Mid
2006
End 2007
Early 2009
Preservation of precious trees on site
Preservation of precious trees
and other heritage structures
End of presentation for Site Formation