A pile of dismantled steel bars from the construction site of the State Audit Office building, which collapsed due to the March 28 earthquake, was found to include substandard products of Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
BMA prohibits the use of ‘T-steel’ in high-rise projects
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has prohibited the use of heat-treated steel or “T-steel” in its high-rise construction projects pending a thorough quality inspection, a source said.
According to the source, the quality of the steel has come under scrutiny following the March 28 collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Chatuchak district during the earthquake, prompting the BMA’s Public Works Department to suspend its use.
In an internal memo dated April 9 to the construction supervision division, the department said the heat-treated steel or steel produced by induction furnaces should not be used in high-rise projects under the BMA.
It said that in cases where the material is already in use, the division is required to submit detailed reports identifying the locations where it is used within the structures.
According to the source, the action has been taken in response to concerns about the quality of the structural materials used, and the department will consider the matter further when the result of the examination is ready.
Meanwhile, Pol Col Thitipong Piwatwutthikul, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Division 2, said collection of evidence, including construction materials, at the site is being carried out systematically for forensic testing.
He said construction materials are being examined by various institutions, including King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology and the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand, adding that partial results are ready and included in the ongoing investigation report. He also assured that the evidence collecting process will not hinder rescue operations.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the Comptroller General’s Department has approved in principle an increase in funeral aid from 20,000 baht to 100,000 baht per victim. An emergency fund of 200 million baht has been approved for post-earthquake recovery efforts.
The Board of Investment has temporarily withdrawn incentives for a Chinese steelmaker that supplied products for the construction of the collapsed State Audit Office building in Bangkok.
The decision to immediately revoke the investment privileges for Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co until further notice was made at a board meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira on Friday.
