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Vivian Au

The quality of concrete used in three blocks of a public housing estate under construction in Tung Chung requires further testing and review, Hong Kong’s Housing Authority has revealed.
According to official documents, the main contractor on the project is Able Engineering. The same company is also involved in a scandal over defective lift installation work at an expansion project at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam.
The authority said on Saturday that regular checks had uncovered issues with the quality of concrete used in three blocks of the estate at Tung Chung Area 42 on Lantau Island between late August and early September.
“The Housing Authority’s engineering team discovered during routine concrete cube strength tests between late August and early September that the quality of concrete used in certain structural components of blocks 3, 4 and 5 at the Tung Chung Area 42 public housing estate required further review and testing,” a spokesman said.
The estate, with a total site area of about four hectares, comprises six residential blocks, providing more than 6,000 public housing flats for a planned population of 16,611. The project’s cost was estimated at about HK$5.4 billion in 2023.
The authority said it had instructed the contractor to extract additional concrete core samples for compressive strength testing in accordance with contract standards to assess whether the concrete strength met the design and contractual requirements.
The contractor was also required to submit a detailed report, along with a rectification and repair plan, and to replace the concrete supplier immediately, the authority added.
The authority, the biggest supplier of public housing in Hong Kong, warned that if an investigation confirmed any fault by the contractor, its performance would be penalised under official scoring mechanisms, directly affecting future tendering opportunities.
If the situation was severe, the authority would consider taking harsher regulatory action, including suspending the contractor’s eligibility to tender, it said.
It would closely monitor the progress and quality of the project, with the goal of completing the development by the original contractual completion date.

Last month, widespread installation defects were revealed at the new block of Queen Mary Hospital, which had delayed the full commissioning of the hospital’s new HK$13.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) block by up to a year, prompting deep concern over project oversight and civil service accountability.
The main contractor on the project is a Paul Y-Able joint venture, with the lift subcontractor being Anlev Elex Elevator.
Lawmaker Scott Leung Man-kwong noted that the concrete issue was proactively uncovered by the authority during routine inspections.
He said it showed that existing monitoring mechanisms for public housing estates were functioning effectively as an early warning system to manage risks during construction and safeguard structural integrity.
“The initial impact on overall public housing supply appears limited for now,” he said.
Pending the outcome of further concrete retesting and investigation, unaffected works on site, such as non-structural construction, could continue, he added.
Leung also expressed hope that the department could reallocate resources and adjust construction schedules to minimise delays and prevent disruption to housing supply.
Regarding public concerns over accountability, he noted it was premature at this stage to assign ultimate responsibility.


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Hong Kong housing

Quality concerns prompt further tests on concrete used in 3 public housing blocks

Tung Chung. Photo: Nora Tam

Most of the lifts at Queen Mary Hospital’s new clinical block are defective. Photo: Sam Tsang

The Housing Authority’s headquarters. Photo: Nora Tam

Just 4 of 28 lifts at Queen Mary Hospital block set for service once repairs done

Clinical services have yet to move in to Queen Mary Hospital’s new block, as repeated lift faults have kept most of the elevators out of service. Photo: Karma Lo

All 28 lifts had received permits from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department by July last year after it reviewed the subcontractor’s testing reports and conducted on-site inspections. Photo: Karma Lo

Senior civil servant asked to resign over defective lifts at Queen Mary Hospital

Tuesday Li previously served as a chief project manager at the Architectural Services Department. Photo: Development Bureau

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn. Photo: Edmond So

Lawmaker Rebecca Chan has suggested the government launch a formal investigation into the matter. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong reserves right to seek compensation over faulty hospital lift work

Queen Mary Hospital’s new block has been delayed by up to a year after defects left 24 of its 28 lifts unfit for use. Photo: Sam Tsang

Development minister Bernadette Linn says contractors will bear the cost of remedial work, ensuring public expenditure on the project will not increase. Photo: May Tse

The new block is designed to house accident and emergency, emergency medicine and inpatient services, diagnostic radiology, a perioperative centre, cardiac catheterisation laboratories and intensive care units. Photo: Karma Lo

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Main contractor on Tung Chung estate, Able Engineering, is also part of a joint venture involved in scandal-hit lift installation work


Main contractor on Tung Chung estate, Able Engineering, is also part of a joint venture involved in scandal-hit lift installation work.


Quality concerns prompt further tests on concrete used in 3 public housing blocks

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Main contractor on Tung Chung estate, Able Engineering, is also part of a joint venture involved in scandal-hit lift installation work

Main contractor on Tung Chung estate, Able Engineering, is also part of a joint venture involved in scandal-hit lift installation work