Geotechnical aspects of remedial works to the Supreme Court Building, Hong Kong

Synopsis: The Supreme Court Building in Hong Kong was designed by Aston Webb & E Ingress Bell, consultant architects to the Crown Agents to the Colonies. Aston Webb was the leading British architect of the Edwardian era. The building was finished in 1912 and served as the main courthouse until 1978. Starting in 1976, the construction of the Mass Transit Railway Central Station with its diaphragm walls only Im away from some column plinths, caused progressive settlement and damage. In 1978 the building was evacuated and shored up. Settlements due to diaphragm wall installation, dewatering and excavation were monitored, and effectively ceased with completion of the structure in 1979. Nevertheless the presence of the station and the tunnels leading to Admiralty on the Modified Initial System provided a potential path for long term drainage. In addition the tunnels for the Island Line would be driven immediately to the south of the Supreme Court Building, and a cooling water tunnel for the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Headquarters to the west of the Supreme Court, would provide other long term drainage possibilities. Since movement had ceased, structural repairs were detailed involving bonding cracked masonry with epoxy resin mortar incorporating some stitching. To guard against the risk that long term drawdown of the water table could lead to rotting of the timber piles, a simple ground water recharge scheme was installed.