Long-term Building Maintenance Cost Consideration in HDB Design Planning
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether HDB design planning accounts for long-term maintenance costs of building exteriors, specifically regarding features like beams and ledges where litter accumulates. Dr Tan Wu Meng inquired about the functional versus cosmetic nature of these features and their impact on upkeep accessibility. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong responded that ease of maintenance is a key consideration, clarifying that ledges provide rain protection while tie-beams ensure structural robustness. He noted that canopies are sloped and tie-beams are minimized, and emphasized that residents must refrain from high-rise littering to help maintain cleanliness.
Transcript
62 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB design planning considers factors that affect the long-term cost of building exterior upkeep, including (i) accessibility of building features, such as beams and ledges, where high-rise litter may accumulate; (ii) the number of such features in any given HDB block; and (b) whether such features have been incorporated for cosmetic versus structural integrity considerations.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The accessibility and ease of maintenance of common areas, including exterior features, are key aspects that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) considers in the design of its buildings.
External features, such as ledges and beams, are provided for a functional purpose. Concrete ledges or canopies are provided above windows to provide shade and protect flats from rain. For instance, without such canopies, rainwater flowing down the building facade may enter the flats if the windows are open or not closed tightly. As for beams, external tie beams are required in some projects to ensure the structural robustness and stability of the building.
Design-wise, HDB generally ensures that canopies are gently sloped to allow water discharge. In addition, the use of tie beams is minimised, and these are only deployed where necessary.
If a lot of high-rise litter is thrown by residents, it will inevitably accumulate on external ledges and beams. We hope residents can play their part in maintaining the cleanliness of the common areas and refrain from throwing litter out of their windows.