Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung has asked relevant agencies to uncover the cause of the recent collapse of four girders of the Phap Van viaduct and file a report to the ministry before April 24.
The collapse of four girders of the viaduct, part of the Thanh Tri Bridge project crossing the Linh Dam urban area and Giai Phong-Phap Van intersection, happened on April 18.
Minister Dung also urged relevant agencies, including the Thang Long project management board, joint contractors Sumitomo Mitsui and the Thang Long Construction Corporation and the project's supervisors and consultants, to promptly check the project's design, implementation process and labour safety measures.
Early assessments showed that the incident was due to careless construction, according to spokesman for transport minister Nguyen Van Cong.
The girders were placed on the bridge piles in late 2009 and were propped up by wooden bars, leaving the girders unstable and causing them to collapse, said Cong.
Nguyen Duc Y, director of Bridge Company No 7 under the Thang Long Construction Corporation - the project's contractor, said that weak welds that linked the girders might have been to blame for the incident.
The company is still studying the cause of the collapse and it would try not to let the incident affect the progress of the construction which was expected to finish in August, he added.
Deputy Director General of the Thang Long project management board - the project's investor - Pham Thanh Binh said the management board was checking the remaining girders to ensure a similar incident would not happen.
If any remaining girders were found to be at risk of breaking, the management board would ask the contractor to immediately deal with the problem to ensure the project's quality and deadline, he said.
Each of the girders would take the contractor more than a week to replace them, Binh added.
An estimated 600 million VND (31,500 USD) worth of damage was caused by the collapse./.
The collapse of four girders of the viaduct, part of the Thanh Tri Bridge project crossing the Linh Dam urban area and Giai Phong-Phap Van intersection, happened on April 18.
Minister Dung also urged relevant agencies, including the Thang Long project management board, joint contractors Sumitomo Mitsui and the Thang Long Construction Corporation and the project's supervisors and consultants, to promptly check the project's design, implementation process and labour safety measures.
Early assessments showed that the incident was due to careless construction, according to spokesman for transport minister Nguyen Van Cong.
The girders were placed on the bridge piles in late 2009 and were propped up by wooden bars, leaving the girders unstable and causing them to collapse, said Cong.
Nguyen Duc Y, director of Bridge Company No 7 under the Thang Long Construction Corporation - the project's contractor, said that weak welds that linked the girders might have been to blame for the incident.
The company is still studying the cause of the collapse and it would try not to let the incident affect the progress of the construction which was expected to finish in August, he added.
Deputy Director General of the Thang Long project management board - the project's investor - Pham Thanh Binh said the management board was checking the remaining girders to ensure a similar incident would not happen.
If any remaining girders were found to be at risk of breaking, the management board would ask the contractor to immediately deal with the problem to ensure the project's quality and deadline, he said.
Each of the girders would take the contractor more than a week to replace them, Binh added.
An estimated 600 million VND (31,500 USD) worth of damage was caused by the collapse./.
