Routine concrete cube-strength tests have raised concerns about some structural components in Blocks 3, 4 and 5 of the Tung Chung Area 42 public-housing development. The finding concerns parts of the three blocks, rather than establishing a structural failure across the project, and further testing has been ordered.
The housing authorities said the tests were carried out from late August to early September. After learning of the results, the contract manager and chief structural engineer led a detailed assessment and concluded that the site’s overall structural condition is currently safe.
The next technical step is to take additional concrete core samples and test their compressive strength. i-CABLE News reported that the testing will assess whether the affected concrete meets the project’s design and contract requirements.
安保工程, the project’s main contractor, has been told to submit a detailed report and a corrective or repair proposal for the engineering team’s approval. The proposal is still to be submitted.
The contractor has already changed the relevant concrete supplier. The authorities have also carried out wider checks and sampling of similar works, saying they have so far found no similar problem elsewhere.
The core-test results and the contractor’s proposal are the next significant steps in the follow-up. i-CABLE News reported that, if contractor responsibility is confirmed, the housing authority may reflect it in the contractor’s performance rating and future tendering opportunities; in a serious case, it may consider suspending the contractor’s tendering eligibility.