Around 30 concrete columns at the Tung Chung West Station project were reported not to have been filled to the top. MTR ordered the relevant construction work stopped. Chau Sze-kit, chairman of a construction industry union, said the contractor had already carried out repairs without approval, which he described as non-compliant.
The Buildings Department asked a registered structural engineer to submit an investigation report and proposed remedial measures by mid-November, according to HK01. Engineering-sector legislator Aaron Bok Kwok-ming said temporary supports remained beneath the slab and that he believed the defect did not then affect structural safety.
Bok said a possible repair would involve making an opening in the floor slab so grout could overflow and ensure the space was completely filled. He said non-shrink grout at least as strong as the original material should be used, and that any repair should be discussed and approved before work began and recorded.
Chau criticised the project team's planning, work sequence and site coordination. He said construction teams should have a contingency plan ready in case columns were not filled properly.