According to a statement late last month from Macau Urban Renewal Limited (MUR), measures are being taken to minimise impacts on residents during the construction of temporary and home-swap housing units on Lot P in Areia Preta.
MUR is a company formed by the Macau government, the Macau Industrial and Commercial Development Fund and the Science and Technology Development Fund.
The statement noted that the measures taken include the installation of noise barriers, and the use of machinery with reduced noise and vibration, among others.
MUR has also requested its contractors to follow mitigation measures according to the “relevant environmental monitoring plan”. The statement added that this includes creating an environmental monitoring team that follows the law on prevention and control of noise pollution and monitoring noise and air quality
Moreover, to decrease disturbances caused by noise and vibration, a bored piling foundation scheme has been utilised at all tower areas.
Noise barriers have also been installed around the construction site and on the pile driving machinery, while only “low noise construction activities” are allowed within permitted evening working hours, the statement said.
Bored piles (aka replacement piles) are “a commonly-used form of building foundation that provide support for structures, transferring their load to layers of soil or rock that have sufficient bearing capacity and suitable settlement characteristics”, according to Designing Buildings.
Various building and ground monitoring checkpoints were set up at nearby buildings and around the construction site before work started. The statement pointed out that “settlement monitoring, tilt monitoring and vibration monitoring checkpoints” are among the monitoring items.
An “early warning system” has also been set up to prevent possible impacts from construction on the surrounding community and nearby residential buildings’ structures.
The statement underlined that “the buildings’ conditions are all stable and no abnormality has been found”.
The public can access the projects’ status at MUR’s regularly updated official website while a 24-hour hotline is also available by contacting 6366 2381 for queries, the statement added.
This undated photo taken from the Macau Urban Renewal Limited’s (MUR) website shows noise barriers at a unidentified construction site.
