Tung Chung housing project concrete fails test again

The Housing Authority (HA) revealed on Tuesday that concrete samples from Block 2 of a public housing project in Tung Chung did not comply with contractual specifications, the latest problem to impact the development. Earlier, the authority had flagged concerns regarding components in Blocks 3, 4, and 5 of the same project in Area 42, requesting further testing.

When contacted by reporters, the HA asserted it had immediately directed the contractor to halt concrete pouring at affected areas and to send concrete cores from the relevant structural elements on-site for compressive strength testing by an independent laboratory. Initial results have started arriving, with 12 core strength tests covering roughly 17 percent of the total already collected.

These samples, evenly spread across the fifth-floor region of Block 5, where the issue was first discovered, exhibited strengths ranging from 23 to 66 percent higher than the standard, meeting all design and contractual criteria. The HA's engineering division stated they will evaluate the contractor's next steps once all test results are received.

Should a review be warranted, the contractor must submit a remedial proposal for HA approval before any further concrete pouring can take place. The HA anticipates that the incident will only have a minor effect on the project's overall timeline.