Safety Risks at High-Rise Spires in Gyeonggi-do... Issues Found at 12 Locations

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] It has been confirmed that about 70% of steeples in Gyeonggi-do are exposed to safety accidents such as toppling due to strong winds.

Gyeonggi-do announced on the 13th that it found 53 issues such as structural corrosion at 12 out of 16 steeples inspected to prevent safety accidents such as toppling and falling caused by strong winds.

Earlier, from the 9th to the 29th of last month, the province conducted a joint inspection with city and county officials and private experts on 16 steeples over 8 meters in height that were reported as constructions.

The inspection results confirmed at least one issue in 12 out of the 16 steeples.

The main issues were ▲ insufficient corrosion prevention treatment of members (structural framework) ▲ poor management of welded joints and poor attachment condition of finishing materials ▲ installation near hazardous facilities including electrical wiring.

Steeple A in Yeoncheon-gun was found to have severe corrosion in welded parts and members, and urgent repairs were requested to Yeoncheon-gun and the building owner.

Steeple B in Pyeongtaek-si had discrepancies between the construction management ledger and the actual installed structure, and since it was installed at a height of over 20 meters, it was judged that pile (foundation pile) construction should have been done. This opinion was conveyed to Pyeongtaek-si and the building owner, indicating the need for additional detailed inspection.

The province is also identifying safety issues of about 1,000 other steeples in the province, which were excluded from this inspection, through self-inspections by cities and counties.

An official from the province explained, "To ensure continuous maintenance and ease of inspection of steeple structures, we plan to propose to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport the establishment of a mandatory clause in the Building Management Act to secure worker movement paths for maintenance work."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.