Hong Kong partially halts work on public housing project over defective screws
Housing Bureau says 23 screws were cut without permission on fourth and fifth floors of project, orders contractor to fix problem
Hong Kong authorities have suspended some construction work on a light public housing project after discovering irregularities in certain screws, ordering the contractor to investigate and fix the problem.
The Housing Bureau said on Friday that it found 23 screws had been cut without permission on the fourth and fifth floors of a temporary public housing project in Siu Lam.
A regular inspection by the Architectural Services Department on August 30 had discovered the problem, the bureau added.
The screws are part of a bracket attached to the concrete wall of the temporary housing, which adopts the “modular integrated construction” (MiC) technique.
This method employs free-standing, integrated modules from a mainland Chinese factory that undergo quality inspections before being installed at the project site.
“The department has immediately requested the contractor, Able-Chun Wo Joint Venture, to suspend the related bracket installation procedures, while the other construction works are proceeding as usual,” a bureau spokeswoman said.
“The department is highly concerned about the quality and safety of the project. It has immediately and sternly instructed the contractor to reinstall the affected brackets and replace the relevant MiC components.”