The Buildings Department has found the number of steel reinforcements installed at a development project at Anderson Road to be fewer than required by the approved plans. Works have been suspended at the site since September 28 to allow investigations.

In response to media enquiries today, the department said it received a report in late August alleging that the steel reinforcements in some structural elements of the project had not been installed in accordance with the requirements of the Buildings Ordinance (BO).

The department stressed that it is taking the matter very seriously and has deployed staff to the site four times since early September to inspect site operations, work quality, site safety and more.

During an inspection on September 26, the department found that the number of steel reinforcements installed on six beams located on 29/F of Tower 3 was fewer than that stipulated in the approved plans.

It stressed that there was no obvious danger to the overall structure.

As neither the representative of the registered structural engineer (RSE) nor the representative of the registered contractor (RC) could provide a reasonable explanation immediately that day, the department’s staff met the RSE the following day and requested that he submit a detailed investigation and remedial works report, including carrying out sampling tests to determine whether similar situations existed on other floors of Tower 3 and in other towers.

Additionally, the department requested that site supervision be strengthened, and decreed that works at the site cannot resume until it is satisfied with the report and site supervision arrangements. The department will consider appropriate enforcement action upon receipt of the RSE's report.

Meanwhile, the department is reviewing superstructure works carried out by the same contractor at seven other private developments and will step up site inspections.

Of the eight private development projects concerned, four were taken over from Aggressive Construction Engineering Limited (ACEL), which was removed from the register of general building contractors in November last year.

The RC involved in the incident was another independent contractor. Under the department’s registration system, an RC must have a suitable authorised signatory (AS) to supervise its works.

The AS of the RC involved in this incident was not the one used by ACEL, the latter AS having failed to have its registration renewed last year.

The Anderson Road development project comprises six multi-storey residential towers. Towers 1, 2 and 3 are 32 storeys high, while Towers 5, 6 and 7 are 24 storeys high.

Superstructure works on all six towers were underway prior to the investigation, with concreting works completed at various levels. Nine single-storey houses will also be built in the development.