Focus

Firm will expose concrete problems

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-28 08:05

Zhong Jizhang likes the nickname he has been given by netizens - Mao Siye, the "Death-defying Grandpa".

"The name is meaningful," said the 68-year-old. "It makes me feel more responsible about letting the public and officials know the problems."

The veteran engineer risked his job (and some say his life) two months ago when he exposed a cover-up involving an ongoing subway network expansion in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

As an employee with the independent Guangzhou Huijian Center of Engineering Quality and Safety Monitoring, he discovered flaws in the concrete work that had been passed in previous inspection tests for the northern extension of Metro Line 3.

Provided to China Daily Zhong Jizhang exposed a flaw in Guangzhou's subway expansion.

"It had been given the all clear (by inspection staff members) despite substandard quality," Zhong told China Daily. "I knew how dangerous it would be after exposing it but my conscience kept telling me not to cover up the flaw. I needed to speak out."

In 2009, Zhong was ordered to withdraw the original inspection report and take no further part in the tests. He refused and was subsequently removed from his post as deputy director of the engineering center's inspection team. He said his salary was reduced and he was threatened with the sack.

Despite the pressure, Zhong knew he had to blow the whistle - yet he had no idea how to do it until he learned about the power of the Internet. With help from friends, in August this year he opened a blog account with Sina, a popular Chinese news website, and released a statement revealing that two tunnels used by subway construction crews for work and emergency purposes had substandard concrete work.

"I used the blog because I wanted more feedback from the public and the media," said Zhong, who posted the original inspection documents and photographs he had taken of the tunnels. "I wanted to let everyone know the truth, so that there are no cover-ups," he added.

In response to the post, the city's urban and rural construction commission issued a statement insisting that the concrete issue will have "no decisive impact" on the overall quality of construction.

The commission confirmed Guangzhou Metro Corporation had asked the expansion project's designer to evaluate structural safety after finding the flaw in October 2009. It concluded the tunnels met all requirements.

However, tests by two independent companies hired by Metro Corp and the construction company, Beijing Chang Cheng Bilfinger Berger Construction Engineering, discovered concrete in passages that failed to meet the design specifications.

"A company driven by profits ... should not be involved in quality supervision for such a big construction project," said Zhong, who added that commission officials asked the design company to conduct another inspection several days ago. "An overall survey is expected in the near future," he said. "I have been told by my company to speak little about the project."

China Daily