SITE INVESTIGATION AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING PRACTICE IN HONG KONG.

This paper reviews site investigation practice in Hong Kong as related to the major geotechnical engineering problems of slope stability and site formation, foundations deep excavations, reclamation and tunneling. The heterogeneous residual soils and colluvium pose special problems for site investigation and for engineering design and construction. Fairly sophisticated investigation and testing techniques are therefore used. Rotary drilling is nearly always employed, and double- or triple-tube core barrels are in common use for sampling. Although various in situ tests are conducted, the emphasis is on laboratory testing for the determination of engineering properties. In particular, shear strengths for residual soils are determined by high-quality drained and undrained triaxial tests on saturated specimens.