MTR Corp faces need to dismantle entire platform at scandal-hit Hung Hom station after six more faulty steel bars found
- Substandard rate of 22 of 52 bars found faulty so far is 42 per cent, with lawmaker saying it has crossed limit
- Latest findings bring number of faulty steel bars to 23 out of 60 checked
Hong Kong’s embattled rail operator is facing the need of having to dismantle at least one entire platform at its scandal-hit Hung Hom station after another six steel bars were found to be badly installed, further increasing substandard rates.
The latest results brought the number of faulty steel bars detected to 23, out of 60 checked, with an overall substandard rate of 38 per cent. For the east-west platform alone, 22 of 52 bars were found to be defective so far – a substandard rate of 42 per cent.
Lawmaker and former rail boss Michael Tien Puk-sun said if the eventual failure rate for one platform exceeded 40 per cent, it was inevitable that it would have to be dismantled. “The latest findings are very serious,” he added.
The six faulty bars were found to be embedded into couplers at a depth of 32.59mm to 36.8mm. According to the supplier, 40mm of each bar should be screwed into its coupler, and anything less than 37mm is substandard, taking into account a 3mm error.
One bar, embedded only 33.98mm into its coupler but without any exposed thread, showed signs of being shortened.
It is also hard for the construction sector to take the safety standards seriously