Hong Kong building defects cost more than reputation
- Public safety also matter of concern as shoddy concreting at HKU development becomes latest poor work to be highlighted
Hong Kong’s civil engineering credentials are among the world’s best. From iconic construction marvels to day-to-day infrastructure projects, there is no shortage of exemplary showpieces.
But its hard-earned reputation can be easily tarnished by occasional substandard works. The consequences may be severe.
The latest case of concern is a project at the University of Hong Kong. Online photos showed honeycomb-shaped cavities and exposed steel reinforcement bars on pillars and beams on several floors of the redevelopment in Pok Fu Lam.
The problems were exposed in a recent social media post by a construction boss, who blew the whistle on shoddy work at the MTR Corporation’s Sha Tin-Central link in 2018. The university later confirmed that defective concrete work was first identified in late April and May at a handful of locations.
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The project team had issued four site memos and a warning letter to the contractor for rectification, though no significant improvement had been observed.
An immediate inspection by the Buildings Department confirmed that reinforced concrete elements at some locations were defective, but no obvious structural danger was noted. Officials said the current regulatory and supervision system was also effective, referring to the identification of irregularities by the professionals concerned and the steps taken to rectify them.
The university said it had strengthened monitoring, including the replacement of the site engineer as well as the supervisor and concrete team.
While there is no evidence at this stage to show structural safety has been compromised, the defects, exposed by someone familiar with construction scandals, inevitably hurt perceptions and confidence in the industry. The contractor in question, Aggressive Construction Company, was behind the tragedy last year in which a tower crane at a Housing Society project in Sau Mau Ping collapsed and killed three workers.
University of Hong Kong replaces team at building site after warnings over defects
At stake is not only the industry’s image and reputation, but also public safety. This is especially true when there are more projects in the pipeline.
It is incumbent upon the industry and authorities to maintain standards and quality while fulfilling development needs.
