Repair and Maintenance of Infrastructure in Hong Kong

Introduction

Hong Kong is one of the strongest economic city in the world. It have one of the open and dynamic economies and able to stand by itself. Hong Kong is economically so sufficient that it almost have zero foreign loan (Building and construction authority, 2011). It is one of the densely populated city and have 6.7 million people living into a small area of 1102 sq.km (Building department, 2010). In order to utilize this tiny place and make it in a condition where people can live easily, highly compact and high rise apartment buildings have been developed in order to provide more space for the citizens. After the removal of airport the restriction of tall buildings in urban areas have been lifted. Residential buildings are now build higher than ever before. Most of the residential buildings are above 50 floors, which gives a unique skyscraper identity to Hong Kong. But in a compact environment like Hong Kong it poses a threat of sustainability (Building Department, 2010).
The presence of maturing structures which need legitimate care and upkeep in Hong Kong wind up with disturbed worries of the administration and overall population (Chan, Chan, & Choi, 2010). From the time of full scale operation of Mandatory window inspection which is also known as MWIS and Mandatory building inspection also known as MBIS, construction work in sense of repair and maintenance have been increasing in Hong Kong. They repaired a lot of buildings which needed maintenance and repairs e.g. Postwar Apartments on Nathan Road Kowloon, Hong Kong. In this respects, interest for specialist organizations including building advisors and contractual workers for the support and repair works is expanded drastically (Chan, Chan, Lo, & HUNG, 2012).
Although, the quantity of protestation and different debate issues about the support of the buildings and repair and maintenance work have been increasing and surfacing very rapidly during last year. Most of the time news channels and papers mention different features which building proprietors experiencing, preposterously high cost of repairs, Consultancy of the low standards administrations, quality of the work, and so on. Different dangers and irritations are additionally revealed in some outrageous cases (Chick, 2003). It describes obviously that different markets are on the brink of getting to be constraint. The underlying are the root causes:
 Lack of specialist to manage the market and routine with regards to professionals
 There is lack of information about the buildings repair and maintenance and no awareness of the business developments.
 There are also a lot of issue about the equipment’s, different experts and contractual workers of buildings.
 There is no proper seat checking about the nature of administrations who are working into the markets.
In order to handle issues and also enhancing present circumstances, setting up of the building maintenance and repair authority in order to focus and direct the specialists and the markets. Aside from guaranteeing an equitable rivalry among building specialists and contractual workers, the Authority can likewise advance proficient and moral practices in conveying out the upkeep and repair works (Development Bureau, 2010). This authority is necessary for the purpose of repair and maintenance of the buildings. In order to ensure the safety and security of the people and buildings. If the infrastructure is strong and healthy it can lead toward the better living standards of the society and affect the economy as a whole (Fong, 2008).

2 Objectives
Researcher is proposing a regulatory body called BRMA which refers to the building repair and maintenance authority is a regulatory body of semi government set up in order to screen temporary workers and specialists of the buildings to repair and support the work of the privately owned structures under numerous possession. Task of the BRMA should be fiscally bolstered through demand which is easily chargeable for temporary workers mentioned in the list of endorsement.


Figure 1Main Building


Figure 2Common Defects Found
BRMA should manage the maintenance, repair and upkeep work of the privately owned structures of various proprietorship. The significant capacities include:
1) Maintaining affirmed arrangements of professionals considering experts as well as contractual workers.
2) Collaborations with the Governments divisions in order to develop and maintain the culture of care for the buildings.

3 Methodology
This section of the project provides the complete detail of the research methodology. Which will be used in order to gather the data about the repair and maintenance of the construction works in Hong Kong. Purpose of the methodology is to make it clear that how the researcher will gather the information and data about specific topic. There are different procedures through which data can be gathered in order to complete the
research. In this case data will be collected through the literature review. Literature provides complete detail of the work which have be done before by different researcher on the similar topic. Which provides a base for the future research and give certain detail about the topic of the study.
BRMA will achieve its objectives by working with professionals and maintaining a proper employment pool in order to provide the service of professional at contractual and expert basis. They will provide the man power to resolve the issue of building repair and maintenance with their skills. On the other hand BRMA will built strong relationships with the government and other regulatory bodies in order to promote awareness of the building repairs and maintenance and promote the culture of building care in Hong Kong. Which will result in better improvements in the society and increase overall building care education for the citizens in order to keep the buildings safe and secure.

4 Outline
4.1 Elements of regulatory body
4.1.1 Maintaining the list of approved practitioners
i. Proposed accompanying arrangements of the practitioners are kept and set up:-
(a) Building or construction consultant
Dissimilar to authorized person register also known as AP and inspector which is registered below the ordinance of buildings kept up through division building also known as BD, there is no unequivocal rundown of building repair advisors kept up by the legislature or other open body. Besides, the overall population is likewise confounded in choosing the correct advisors from the AP or RI Register as they are just a rundown of individual experts rather than proficient firm. From the experience, just few enlisted experts will partake in the building repair and support works. Setting up a perceived rundown of equipped experts can encourage general society to distinguish the suitable and intrigued experts (Urban Renewal and Rehabilitation, 2002).
(b) Repair and Maintenance Contractors
Despite the fact that there are Registers of General Building Contractors or other sorts of Contractors kept up by the BD, there is no formal rundown of repair and support temporary worker offering administrations to private building proprietors under the administration of any administration bodies that the building proprietors may make reference. Setting up a perceived rundown of Repair and Support Contractors could assist the building proprietors with inviting able and reliable temporary workers into their giver list (Building management and maintenance public consultation paper, 2004).
ii. Criteria for enrolling and de-listing of advisors/contractual workers
(a) Listing and delisting criteria of advisor may incorporate the accompanying angles:-
1) Availability of adequate individual from proficient surveyors, draftsmen or builds as the senior administration of the organization
2) Relevant enlistment with BD
3) Collusion records
4) Criminal records of the organization or individual in-control
5) Record of protests
6) Quality of works/administrations
(b) Listing and delisting criteria of contractual worker may incorporate the accompanying perspectives:-
1) Availability of adequate number of perceived building proficient
2) Relevant enlistment with BD
3) Collusion records
4) Criminal records of the organization or individual in-control
5) Safety records
6) Record of protests
Whenever a project or contract is completed all of the documentation of the contract will be submitted to the BRMA in order to conduct the audit as per the requirements and keep a proper record of it. The documentation will be applicable for the contractors and the consultants. The authorized regulatory body will have the power to conduct the audit about the quality of the services and all the work completed by the contractors (Carol, Albert, & Francis, 2010). This audit will provide the critical analysis of the contractors about their contract and renewal of the contract in the list.
iii. Mandatory consideration into the rundowns
In the initial a long time since the foundation of BRMA, building proprietors are suggested, on a deliberately premise, to designate building advisors and temporary workers in the rundowns. In any case, it would be a definitive objective of BRMA to set up an obligatory rundown for the building experts and repair and support contractual workers (N.A, W.S.Z, M.Y, & A.H., 2011). Upon the expiry of the underlying stage, building experts and repair and support temporary workers ought to have been appropriately incorporated into the individual rundown before they can take part in the building repair and upkeep works, Building proprietors who expect to complete repair and upkeep works ought to name these recorded building specialists and repair also, upkeep contractual workers (Daniel, et al., 2008).

4.2 Formulate Technical Guidelines and Documents
4.2.1 Practice Standards
Overall population might not have great information of the training standard of the building support part of the development business. It is most extreme vital for the building proprietors to know about the requirement for good practice standard amid their sourcing of expert. It is likewise basic to have a reasonable seat checking of expert execution of building specialists (Arnott, Davidson, & Pines, 1983).
The expert work on in regards to repair and support of private building of different possession might incorporate yet not restricted to the accompanying perspectives:-
1) Condition study for building including deserts recognizable proof and plan of repair and change works
2) Cost estimation and planning
3) Procurement strategies in designating expert and temporary worker
4) Specifications for normal repair and upkeep works
5) Contract organization over the span of the works including progress checking and between time installment evaluation
6) Contract organization upon down to earth fruition of works and amid imperfection risk period
4.3 Creation of the Authority
Individuals from the BRMA might be designated by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Exceptional Administrative Region (HKSAR) and comprise of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, what’s more, various normal individuals originating from different divisions in the group at extensive, including government authorities, lay-individuals and other expert bodies and industry specialists (Kent, Merry, & Walters, 2002). It is proposed 2/3 of the individuals are Government authorities, lay-individuals and the scholarly world also, 1/3 of the individuals are named by Professional Institutions and Contractor

4.5 Organization of the Authority
Individuals from the BRMA might be named by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Uncommon Administrative Region (HKSAR) and comprise of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, furthermore, various normal individuals originating from different divisions in the group at expansive, including government authorities, lay-individuals and other expert bodies and industry specialists. It is proposed 2/3 of the individuals are Government authorities, lay-individuals and the scholarly community what’s more, 1/3 of the individuals are designated by Professional Institutions and Contractor Affiliations. Government authorities and lay-individuals incorporate those open officers and resident designated by Development Bureau and Home Affair Bureau. Proficient Institutions incorporate The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and other pertinent expert foundations and affiliations (Lai, 2003).

4.6 Objections and Disciplinary Actions
4.6.1 Complaints Handling
The Authority might set out reasonable and suitable protests taking care of strategy and rules. BRMA might be engaged to complete examination of got objections and present the discoveries to the Investigation Committee. The Examination Committee might think about examination discoveries and the proposals and alludes the case to Disciplinary Committee as fitting.
Comments: BRMA may look for the help from other government experts or law authorization organizations if required.

4.6.2 Disciplinary Actions
The Disciplinary Committee might consider the case alluded by the Investigation Council and make proposal to BRMA for important and proper disciplinary authorizations.
These are some of the regulator bodies and actions that will be implemented by the BRMA in order to repair the buildings and keep them safe and secure. IBSP will be focused on the two main objectives of the study which are to provide professionals for the experts and other contractual workers in order to improve their productivity and increase their awareness. IBSP will also cover the relationships of the BRMA with
government and other regulatory bodies in order to promote the culture of building care among the citizens and provide proper care in case of some mishap.
BRMA along with the MBIS can help and ensure the initiation of the building surveys in order to make sure that all of the buildings are and safe and secure and their sanitary, fire services, gas installations, security system and water supply system are in good condition and working properly. They also have to identify the dangerous or defective buildings and drains and inform the authorities in order to take proper action and repair them before any harm can be caused due to their bad condition. If there are some dangerous situations in an emergency then the regulatory body can repair the damage right away and claim the cost later after the damage have been repaired from the owner. Some of the buildings are unreported and lead toward the decay. Most of the private property owner are afraid and avoid taking responsibility for the upkeep of the premises without the intervention of government or regulatory bodies. Under these conditions government is the only body that can take responsibility for carrying out the regular maintenance and inspections of the buildings. Government have taken the passive role in the prevention of deterioration of the private buildings and laws during 2004 was not efficient enough to cover all those issues. They are also inadequate in order to promote the maintenance of the current buildings and provide proper maintenance for other buildings. So the regulatory bodies have decided to hold the owner of the house responsible for the deterioration of the building and proper repair and maintenance of the building. In order to prevent the disasters of the buildings and other accident frequent visits and inspection of the buildings in mandatory (Perdue, Gostin, & Stone, 2003).
Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme also known as MBIS is proposed by the government during 2007 which provide proper identification of the process and approaches which can be followed in order to avoid the mishaps of the buildings. It also hold house owners responsible for the repair and maintenance of the buildings. House owner should inspect the building frequently and deal with the issues right away in order to avoid future problems. In case house owner is not rectifying the work and leaving the problem just like that, a visit by the regulatory body will inspect the building time to time. If any problems are found and house owner is not taking care of it he/she will be held responsible for the issue.

5 Progress
A lot of research have been conducted on the topic and issues related to it and most of the data for the literature have been collected in order to perform the work. Objectives are clear and way to achieve those objectives is through the literature review. There are some articles which discuss certain aspect of this project and provide in detail information. Most of the data have been collected already and achievement of rest of the work is in progress. All the tasks have been identified and information have been gathered about those tasks.

6 Work schedule
This section provides the detail of the complete work schedule pf the project. It will describe how long it will take to complete a certain task of the project. All the tasks have been divided in different parts and will be completed on certain dates in order to progress the project toward the completion. Introduction section of the project will be completed by 28th April 2018, objective and aims of the project will be completed till 5th May 2018. Main focus of the project will be on the literature review and it will take most of the time during the research. Literature review will be completed by 25th May 2018. After that methodology will be completed till 30th May 2018 and outline of the project will be done by the time of 5th June 2018. Finally conclusion and final deliverables will be delivered by the end of June.

7 Conclusion
Hong Kong is one of the most dynamic and open economy in the world and have one of the best economy strategies. Hong Kong is economically so strong that even after the great recession Hong Kong was able to absorb and withstand the impact of great recession. Meanwhile there are a lot of structures in Hong Kong which are maturing and reaching their limit. Those structure are in need of great repair and maintenance in order to survive further. If nothing is done then those structure will be damaged further and eventually demolished. Mandatory Building also known as MBIS and Mandatory Window Inspection scheme also known as MWIS have been working on the repair works in Hong Kong for example Postwar Apartments on Nathan Road Kowloon, Hong Kong. Their repair work is helping some of the structures to flourish further with the pace of world. But Hong Kong is in need of a separate Building Repair and Maintenance Authority.
Building Repair and Maintenance Authority will handle different issues related to the repair and maintenance of the buildings in order to flourish them further. This Authority will have professionals who will help other experts and contractual workers to perform their work better and provide them a platform to show their skills. They will also deal with the Government officials and regulatory bodies by maintaining proper relationships with them. Which will strengthen the BRMA and increase its awareness. They will provide awareness about the building care and provide proper guidance and facilities to help them to take care of the buildings.

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