The MTR Corporation said today that it is looking into what has caused holes to appear in some concrete slabs on a platform at Hung Hom Station.
The problem was revealed by officials from the Highways Department at a Legislative Council panel meeting. Lawmakers were also told that some of the concrete found to contain hollow spaces had been removed, exposing steel bars underneath, RTHK reports.
Civic Party legislator Jeremy Tam asked the authorities how big an area of so-called honeycomb concrete they were talking about, and the MTRC’s general manager James Chow said they had identified several spots so far which measure several square meters and are less than 10 centimeters deep.
Chow said the railway company had expanded the area to be inspected, but added it is believed that the phenomenon is not widespread at the station. He said the company had yet to find out what had caused it. Meanwhile, a veteran engineer told RTHK that honeycomb concrete could be the result of shoddy works, or because there are too many steel bars in a particular area.
Ngai Hok-yan said when cement is being poured to form concrete slabs, they have to be shaken to force any air out. He said such problems are usually small in scale and are unlikely to pose any structural risks. Hung Hom Station is just one on the future Sha Tin-Central Link to be hit by claims of flawed
construction and a judge-led inquiry is to look into the issue.
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