With regard to a media report concerning the quality of steel reinforcement in a house at One Stanley in Stanley, the Buildings Department (BD) is highly concerned about the incident and has been following it up seriously and conducting investigation upon receiving the report. If any building professionals and contractors are found to have violated the Buildings Ordinance (BO) after investigation, the BD will pursue the matter seriously, including instigating prosecutions and/or disciplinary actions.

     The occupation permit of the house was issued in July 2023. The owner is carrying out decoration works after purchasing the house. The BD received a report in January this year from the owner's representative regarding the structural safety of the floor slabs in the house. After making an appointment with the owner, staff of the BD was arranged to carry out an on-site inspection in March and considered that the overall structure of the house posed no obvious danger. The BD then launched an investigation into the case and also wrote to the registered structural engineer of the development, requesting a report and relevant information, including test reports and certificates for the materials concerned.

     The BD deployed its staff to the house several times between June and September to carry out inspections, tests and examinations. These included rebound hammer test on concrete strength, cover-meter survey, surface penetrating radar survey for checking alignment of reinforcement, concrete core compressive strength test, as well as on-site open-up inspections. The BD is currently analysing the data obtained from these tests and examinations. It is found that the concrete cover of one of the beams at the ground floor is not installed with wire mesh as required by the approved plan, and the steel reinforcement of some slabs deviated from the approved plan. Although such situations will not pose obvious danger, the BD considers that the quality of works warrants concerns and follow-up actions. The BD will conduct further investigation and has written to the relevant parties, including the authorized person, the registered structural engineer, the registered contractor and the developer of the development, requesting interviews to assist in the investigation and to provide information.

     The BD reminded the industry that under the BO, building professionals (including structural engineers) and contractors must supervise and carry out building works in accordance with the approved plans. Building professionals or contractors are subject to prosecutions and/or disciplinary actions if they are found to have failed to properly supervise or carry out building works during the BD's audits and/or upon receiving complaints. The Development Bureau will submit a bill to the Legislative Council by the end of this year to amend the BO, which will also include increasing penalties of the relevant provisions.

Ends/Saturday, October 3, 2026
Issued at HKT 23:00

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