By Lee Hyo-sik
POSCO, the world’s fourth-largest steelmaker, says its noise-proof floor plate made of high manganese steel has earned the top grade from a state-run test agency.
The company expects construction firms here will rush to use the product, the first of its kind, when building apartments and other structures, because reducing noise between floors has become a priority.
The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology issued the first-grade certificate to the steelmaker for its latest noise-proof floor plate, which it says can reduce noise between floors by as much as 90 percent compared with conventional non-iron plate.
“Builders now have to pour concrete on top of the floor plate in order to reduce floor noise,” a POSCO spokesman said. “But if they use our manganese steel floor plate, they won’t have to do that anymore, which will shorten the construction period by at least five days per floor. The builders can also lessen the floor thickness by 15 millimeters. Our product will save them money and time.”
POSCO said it will supply about 20,000 tons of the floor plate to POSCO Engineering & Construction and other builders in 2015.