Park Jehwa, Head of Construction Management, Says "All Steel Deck Plates Passed Final Quality Tests"

"Secondhand and Non-KS Products Can Be Used If They Pass Quality Tests"

From the left in the photo, Park Jehwa, Head of Construction Management Headquarters, Kim Jongmyung, Director of Railroad Construction Bureau (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

Park Jehwa, Head of Construction Management Headquarters of Daejeon City, and Kim Jongmyung, Director of the Railroad Construction Bureau, held a press briefing on the afternoon of October 13 in the press room regarding the components of the temporary Yudeung Bridge. They stated, "All steel deck plates used for the Yudeung Bridge passed the final quality tests and were deemed suitable."

This briefing was held in response to claims that some components of the temporary bridge, which was built to replace the Daejeon Yudeung Bridge after its pier subsided due to heavy rainfall in July of last year, did not meet the safety requirements of the Korean Industrial Standards (KS). The event was arranged to clarify these concerns.

Park Jehwa explained, "From the design stage, we planned to use secondhand steel deck plates for the temporary Yudeung Bridge, taking into account construction costs and material supply conditions."

He continued, "Due to the urgency of the disaster recovery project, we conducted both construction and quality tests simultaneously, facing constraints on the construction period and challenges in material procurement. All steel deck plates passed the final quality tests and were found to be suitable."

He added, "According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's standard specifications for temporary construction, secondhand or non-KS products can be used if they pass quality tests. In accordance with the construction quality testing standards, we completed quality tests on 17 out of a total of 3,300 steel deck plates in two separate rounds."

Regarding safety concerns, he said, "To ensure proper construction and safety management, we carried out construction management services in accordance with relevant laws and completed a safety inspection before the bridge was opened."

He further stated, "Currently, we are monitoring the bridge around the clock through remote measurement, and we will continue to ensure thorough safety management by conducting annual quality tests and safety inspections."

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