Reinforced bars that weigh less than standard were found in an affordable housing site in Wenchang, Hainan province, photo taken on July 30, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

The construction of an affordable housing project in Wenchang of South China's Hainan province has been suspended after safety inspectors discovered they were to be built using substandard material, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Inspectors discovered the 345 ton reinforced steel rods used to build homes for low income families in the city of Wenchang weighed much less than the standard allowed.

The Hainan provincial authority of quality supervision and inspection said that seven kinds of reinforced bars tested at the site were inadequate.

Zheng Ting'an, a head of the provincial quality supervision and inspection working group, said, "The low quality reinforced bars will cause severe hidden trouble for the apartment buildings."

The municipal government of Wenchang has stopped constructions at the site.

The local municipal authority of quality supervision and inspection for building materials did not inspect the weight of the reinforced bars and the director said that their job is to inspect the materials according to the request of the construction company and the supervision company, but they were not requested to test the weight of the reinforced bars this time.