Welcome to HKCRA

History

During the 1980's when the Hong Kong economy was expanding, building owners started to make improvements to their properties. At that time, there was low public awareness of the need to carry out structural or concrete repairs, to any agreed standard or quality. Furthermore, the Hong Kong Government did not encourage the public to choose suitable, experienced specialist contractors or materials. Because of this, building owners employed many small contractors with unskilled labour. These small contractors, many of whom had no offices, workshops, proper tools, etc and certainly no idea on suitability of materials, carried out the repair work for building owners with no form of guarantee issued. Repairs failed quite soon after completion leaving building owners out of pocket and deeply frustrated.

There are still a large number of buildings to date that are in need of repair and one only has to look at the newspaper to have an understanding of the risk these structures pose to the public. Accidents involving falling masonry are an almost daily occurrence and from 1991 to 2001 alone, there were 427 injuries and 92 deaths. These injuries and unnecessary fatalities are a result of poorly maintained and incorrectly repaired buildings.

It was from this sorry environment in Hong Kong in 1986 that four of the leading specialist concrete repair contractors formed a registered body dedicated to raising the awareness and the standards of all involved with or with responsibility in the business of concrete repair.

Specifically, its aim as set out in the constitution were as follows:

Promote and develop the practice of good concrete repair
Advance education and technical training in the concrete repair industry
Represent the members in matters of common interest

Originally known as the Association of Specialist Concrete Repair Contractors (AsCoRc), the organization has grown and prospered every year.

Such has been the interest and demand to be involved in the association from disciplines outside pure contracting, that in March 1993 the association was formally renamed the Hong Kong Concrete Repair Association (HKCRA). It now includes amongst its members, property developers, materials technologists and specialists material suppliers together with specialist contractors.

There are now 36 company members and 9 associates and 19 individual members plus affiliate relationship with other similar organizations in the UK and USA; all seeking to learn about the use of correct repair materials and techniques.