Seven Delta Bridge piles to be replaced

Passengers travel in a ferry as the under construction Delta Bridge stands in the background

Seven of the underground piles for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (Delta Bridge) require reconstruction, Hong Kong’s Apple Daily reported. This spells further delays to the long-anticipated project.
A Hong Kong contractor, which has manufactured over 1,000 of the bridge piles, will be required to reconstruct seven of them, at HKD2 million apiece, the newspaper added. It is not clear yet why the reconstruction must be undertaken.
The seven piles in question are reportedly located at an artificial island on the Hong Kong side of the bridge project. They are approximately three meters in diameter and up to 70 meters in length. They were installed by a contractor hired by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.
Greg Wong, former chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, told EJ Insight that the piles are designed to support the weight of the bridge.
They have been filled with cement to ensure the strength and stability of the bridge’s components, however air pockets can form if they are not completely filled.
However, he noted that having seven faulty piles in a project which has in excess of 1,000 is not a significant problem, given that it is ultimately a replacement ratio of less than 1 percent.
The reconstruction adds to doubts that the project can be completed by its originally slated deadline of 2017. It has already suffered numerous setbacks, most frequently on the Hong Kong side.