Increasing Heavy Snowfall and Strong Winds... Improvement of Facility Snow Load Standards

Strengthening Design Standards for Vinyl Greenhouses and Other Structures
Inspection of Vulnerable Facilities to Be Conducted This Month

The government, facing consecutive damages from heavy snow and strong winds caused by abnormal weather, has prepared preventive measures in collaboration with related ministries. The design standards and management will be strengthened, focusing on frequently affected vinyl greenhouses, livestock barns, and temporary structures.

On the 16th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the "Improvement Measures for Heavy Snow and Strong Wind Response System" containing these details. This policy aims to prevent damage from heavy snow and strong winds and enhance response capabilities, considering recent climate changes after damages occurred due to record-breaking heavy snow in November last year?the first in 117 years.

Yonhap News

First, facilities vulnerable to snow accumulation that suffered significant damage last November will have their structural stability and management status inspected within this month. This includes livestock barns, vinyl greenhouses, traditional market arcades, and tunnel-type soundproof facilities. During the "Winter Natural Disaster Countermeasure Period" until March, safety reports for vulnerable facilities around daily life will also be activated through the Safety Report Center.

Considering the pattern of heavy snow falling in the form of "wet snow" that exceeds the internal disaster design standards, the snow load criteria in the building structural standards will be improved. The current snow load standards were revised 10 years ago in 2015, and they will be refined to suit the current weather conditions. In particular, temporary structures under three stories, which were excluded from the current building structural standards, will have measures to strengthen structural safety.

The design standards for snow and wind resistance of horticultural and special crop facilities such as vinyl greenhouses will also be improved to reflect recent meteorological data and align with reality. The appropriateness of snow and wind resistance standards for major facilities such as transportation and ports will be reviewed to identify additional improvement tasks.

Management of facilities that do not meet appropriate design standards will also be strengthened. Aged livestock barns and vinyl greenhouses will have reinforcement facilities installed to secure structural safety, and ancillary facilities such as market arcades will standardize the installation of columns and roof coverings. The coverage of crop disaster insurance products will be expanded to encourage subscriptions. It will be actively informed to farmers that non-standard vinyl greenhouses, which are excluded from restoration cost support, can subscribe to wind and flood insurance when reinforcing facilities.

Additionally, to prepare for short and intense snowfall, criteria for sending heavy snow disaster text messages reflecting short-term snowfall intensity will be established. For rapid recovery of damaged facilities, an additional 10% of the damage restoration cost will be provided for demolition costs of agricultural and livestock damage facilities, and the permit procedures for new construction and reconstruction of livestock barns will be simplified.

Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "To protect the lives and property of the people from the climate crisis that has become a reality, we will carefully ensure that the government measures prepared this time are properly implemented on the ground."

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