Arbitrary changes in floor construction and the use of faulty concrete were the main causes of the partial collapse of an apartment building in Gwangju city on Jan. 11, which left six workers dead. On Monday, an investigation committee concluded that the accident was a “man-made disaster” caused by poor management and lax supervision. It is hard to believe that one of the nation's top-10 general contractors erected an apartment building that would have housed more than 100 families in such a shoddy way.
According to the government-led probe panel, HDC Hyundai Development built the 39th floor of the building with an unauthorized method, different from the original design. The builder was supposed to install support posts in the lower floors in order to shore up the 39th floor during the concrete pouring but removed them too early for unknown reasons. It then replaced them with a fake concrete wall, increasing the load of the floor and causing it to collapse.
In addition, the strength of the concrete used in the walls of the 37th and 38th floors was less than half of the normal standard.
Its supervision was also extremely poor. HDC Hyundai Development did not even receive an architectural structure engineer's review while changing the apartment's structural design. Nor did the supervision team properly check the detailed process. In short, it was a poor construction that ignored all safety rules.
Looking at the probe's findings, one cannot help but worry that perhaps unauthorized structural changes remain rampant at construction sites. Concerns are naturally mounting concerning the safety of other apartments built by HDC Hyundai Development. “The concrete's strength in 15 of the 17 collapsed floors was below standard,” said a spokesperson for a civic committee dealing with the aftermath of the accident in the southwestern city.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Infrastructure will soon unveil measures to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents. The ministry should slap the company with the toughest punishment stipulated by law. It also ought to ensure that residents are properly compensated for damages.