The University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Monday confirmed that its ongoing campus re-development project in Pok Fu Lam has been plagued with "extensive" defects.

The revelation came after Jason Poon, the whistleblower who exposed substandard work on the Hung Hom platforms of the MTR's Shatin-to-Central link in 2018, shared photos of the defects on social media.

In a statement, HKU said that defective concrete work was first identified in April in a few locations in the car park area.

The project's contractor had been issued with several memos and a warning letter, but had failed to make any improvements, it said.

Earlier this month, the university replaced the contractor's site engineer and the team in charge of concrete works.

It said while rectification work for minor defects has been carried out, a detailed assessment is being conducted of more extensive defects.

“HKU places the utmost importance on the quality of its campus construction projects and has been closely monitoring the progress and performance of the ongoing work," the statement said.

"The University’s project team is working closely with relevant consultants and contractors to ensure that all project works will meet the required standards. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority."

In a statement on Monday, the Buildings Department said it had inspected the HKU side and did not believe the defective concrete works posed any immediate structural danger.

It said it would monitor the rectification work.

The department also confirmed that the company responsible for the work is Aggressive Construction, the contractor at a Sau Mau Ping site where three workers were killed last year when a crane collapsed.
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Last updated: 2023-06-26 HKT 23:18