The Buildings Department on Saturday said it had found dozens of substandard columns at the MTR station that is currently under construction in Tung Chung West. Around 30 such columns were identified by the registered structural engineers (RSE) working on the project. The department asked that the RSE submit an investigation report and propose remedial measures by the middle of this month. The department will review these submissions, continue to monitor the situation closely, and oversee the necessary corrective works to ensure that all construction meets the relevant safety and quality standards. In response to media questions, the department indicated that it had identified the issues during a routine site inspection and quality audit on the 27th of last month. Upon confirming that two concrete columns were substandard, the department said it immediately instructed the RSE team and the Registered Contractor to conduct a comprehensive investigation and carry out corrective works as soon as possible. The MTR Corporation has since ordered a suspension of relevant construction activities. As part of standard procedures, the RSE’s supervision team carried out further inspections following the progressive removal of the concrete work, uncovering similar defects in additional concrete columns; these findings were reported to...
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