One person's vigilance sparked what has become a wide-ranging probe by the Buildings Department into piling works and building safety across Hong Kong.
A top executive for Central Waterfront Property Project Management - the Sun Hung Kai Properties/Henderson Land group developing Hong Kong Central station - confirmed the investigation was launched after problems were found at its site.
David Dumigan, Central Waterfront senior project manager, said the difficulties affected the nine-level northern podium which will provide shops and parking. Unaffected sections including the 88-storey tower and southwest tower are being built using a different piling method.
Mr Dumigan said an engineer became concerned after checking the amount of concrete delivered against the volume that should have been used. 'He went back to the concrete supplier and checked the invoices against the concrete volumes that were expected,' Mr Dumigan said.
These showed major discrepancies. Sample drilling through the middle of one of the bored piles confirmed it had not reached rock level.
'We went to the Buildings Department who asked us to core nine more piles. We found out most of these were short,' he said.