The Buildings Department has largely completed its probe into unapproved steel reinforcement at K&K Property's luxury One Stanley development and will seek advice from the Department of Justice on possible prosecutions, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said.
The department has largely completed its probe and ordered spot checks on another 15 detached houses and 12 flats across six blocks in the project, requiring the developer to hire an independent lab for testing.
Linn noted that inspectors found steel mesh and rebar layouts that did not match approved plans, discrepancies that were never reported to authorities. Assessment reports are being reviewed, and enforcement action will follow if violations are confirmed.
Stricter site rules
To prevent future lapses, the government plans to roll out tighter site rules as early as January next year.
Under the proposed rules, contractors must document steel reinforcement layouts using photos or video before pouring concrete. Qualified technical staff under the project's Registered Structural Engineer must review these records before submitting them to authorities for spot checks.
Contractors will also be required to conduct random post-pour checks on steel reinforcement and submit inspection reports. The Development Bureau is also reviewing penalties to ensure stronger deterrence.
The house in question received its occupation permit in July 2023. The department launched an on-site inspection in March this year after a representative of the owner, who was renovating the property, raised safety concerns about floor slabs in January.
Initial findings revealed that a beam on the lower ground floor lacked the steel mesh required by approved plans, while steel reinforcement in certain floor slabs failed to meet approved specifications.
