Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park Scheduled for Demolition on the 14th... "Safety First"

Demolition work on the Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park, where a collapse accident occurred, is set to begin as early as this week.

HDC Hyundai Development Company held a demolition plan briefing on the morning of the 11th at the construction site in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The demolition work will be carried out from this month on all eight buildings, focusing on the above-ground residential areas, and is scheduled to be completed by May 2025. Move-in completion is expected by the end of 2027.

More than 375 billion KRW, including construction and compensation costs, is expected to be invested.

The demolition methods to be used include the crushing method (mainly for slabs and ceilings) and the DWS cutting method (mainly for thick walls such as exterior walls).

For temporary construction methods aimed at minimizing safety and environmental damage, the RCS (Rail Climbing System) will be used.

For Building 201, where the exterior wall collapsed, rectangular-shaped system scaffolding and magic panels surrounding all four sides from the 1st to the 39th floor will be installed.

This method takes into account the height and floor height of the target building, the distance to adjacent buildings, and site conditions.

As early as the 14th, a pilot demolition will be conducted on the top 1-2 floors of Building 101. Each floor will take about 14 days.

After confirming various factors such as safety and environment during the pilot demolition process, other buildings will be sequentially dismantled.

From mid-August, Buildings 103 and 203 will be dismantled sequentially, with Building 201, where the accident occurred, being dismantled in the final stage.

An official from Hyundai Development said, "The main focus regarding the demolition work is the exterior wall part. Since there are nearby commercial buildings, it is considered the most dangerous element," adding, "We will concentrate all our efforts to ensure safety."

Meanwhile, the collapse accident occurred on January 11 last year, when part of the internal and external structures from the floor of the 39th floor to the ceiling of the 23rd floor of Building 201 collapsed, resulting in six construction workers dead and one injured.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the prosecution and police have determined that the accident was caused by poor construction, such as failure to install props (supports) during concrete pouring and construction different from the original design.

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