| Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

Structural Excellence Award Obtained

Photo: Footbridge of Shui Chuen O Estate.

With its excellence and innovation in architectural and engineering design, the footbridge built in Phase 2 of the Shui Chuen O public housing development has recently won the Grand Award in the Infrastructures and Footbridges category of the Structural Excellence Award 2018 organised by the Structural Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE).

Due to its unique locality at the fringe of Lion Rock Country Park and Ma On Shan Country Park, the Shui Chuen O public housing development faces a lot of site constraints that needed to be overcome. One of the major challenges is connecting the new estate sitting on hillside with the lower landing at Shui Chuen Au Street across the existing steep slopes and stream course, in a bid to shorten the pedestrian path to the nearest Sha Tin Wai MTR Station.

Attributed to the ingenious ideas of the structural engineers and architects of the Housing Department, a distinctly designed 78-metre-long footbridge has been developed. The footbridge is in its distinct structural form of vierendeel steel truss supported on twin steel arches, visually blending into the alpine environment to echo with the aesthetic design. An innovative construction method by launching the segments of arches and trusses from hillside was adopted to avoid disturbance to the existing slopes and the stream course, while enhancing site safety by eliminating site jointing works. Environmentally friendly features such as skylight and green roof were provided to enhance natural lighting, ventilation and human comfort. Building Information Modelling was adopted to allow the structural and aesthetic performance of the footbridge to be simulated and assessed before it is built, thus reducing design and construction conflicts.

Photo: Innovative construction method was adopted.

Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

Housing Dimensions