Incheon City Urgently Inspects Design Errors in Under-Construction Geomdan Apartments

Incheon City is conducting an urgent inspection to determine whether there are design errors in private apartments under construction in Geomdan New Town.

The city announced on the 18th that it plans to verify the structural safety of the designs for 10 private apartment complexes in Geomdan New Town over two months, from November to December, by selecting a specialized institution in the field of architectural structures.

This measure follows the collapse of the flat slab-structured underground parking lot of the Geomdan New Town apartments, commissioned by LH Corporation, due to missing shear reinforcement bars, and the additional discovery of omitted rebar in apartment walls during construction caused by design errors.

The city stated that reviewing design errors requires experts with knowledge, skills, and qualifications in architectural structures, and since the inspection involves significant costs and time, this year will focus first on private apartments in Geomdan New Town. Starting next year, for the first time nationwide, the city plans to check structural calculation documents and design drawings from the early stages of apartment construction and inspect whether the construction is carried out according to the design drawings during the construction process.

Previously, the city amended the 'Incheon City Apartment Quality Inspection Team Establishment and Operation Ordinance' to expand apartment quality inspections from once before the use inspection to three times: before the frame construction, upon completion of the frame construction, and before the use inspection, starting next year.

An Incheon City official said, "This urgent inspection aims to fundamentally verify the appropriateness of the design," adding, "The city will thoroughly verify design errors to prevent poor construction and strive to alleviate the concerns of prospective residents."

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is visiting the construction site of apartments in Geomdan New Town to inspect the safety of the flat slab structure and other aspects. August 31, 2023.
Photo by Incheon City

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