The Buildings Department will hold a public consultation from October 18 to February 28, seeking views on whether statutory seismic-resistant building design standards should be adopted in Hong Kong.
A consultancy study found that local buildings are generally safe in the event of an earthquake, although they may suffer some degree of structural damage depending on the quake's intensity.
It noted the introduction of seismic-resistant building design standards should not lead to a substantial rise in construction costs, but will significantly reduce annual damage costs to the structural elements of the buildings due to earthquakes. The number of fatalities in the event of an earthquake will also be significantly reduced.
Two public consultation forums will be held on December 10 and February 1 at the Productivity Council Building in Kowloon Tong.
The consultation document will be uploaded to the department’s
website.
