Fake construction work is jeopardizing the safety of China's new high-speed railway, a Chinese newspaper investigation reveals.
The China Economic Times conducted the investigation into the railway between the cities of Wuhan and Guangzhou, revealing a scam by unscrupulous suppliers that could lead to cracking in the railway's concrete supports, creating significant dangers to the entire railway.
The newspaper reported that the railway contractors had been tricked into buying large quantities of fake or deficient coal fly ash - a common ingredient in concrete.
The bogus material was said to have been discovered in March by a construction engineer who noticed a blockage in a pipe where concrete was being poured.
The fake material looks identical to the original with only laboratory tests able to tell them apart.
The high-speed railway, designed to carry trains at speeds of up to 350km/h between two of China's busiest cities, is currently under construction and has been described by the Chinese authorities as the longest and most technologically advanced high-speed railway in the country.
The investigation follows concern over quality standards in the country – almost 20% of goods made in China have failed China's own standards of safety or quality in the first half of the year.
By staff writer
