DL E&C has achieved a significant breakthrough by developing a groundbreaking construction method to address the critical issue of structural safety in apartment building vertical extension remodeling. This pioneering technique has garnered recognition as the most substantial technical challenge in the field.
On June 7, DL E&C announced the successful development of a post-tension load transfer method and received official certification for this novel construction technology from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in South Korea.
This marks a momentous occasion as it is the first instance in Korea where a foundation reinforcement method for vertical extension remodeling has been developed and officially certified by the Ministry.
Vertical extension remodeling offers the potential for enhanced profitability by adding up to three additional floors to an apartment building. However, increasing the number of floors poses difficulties in ensuring structural safety due to load distribution problems, resulting in sluggish progress for vertical extension projects.
Numerous construction methods have been proposed to tackle this issue, but they have failed to pass safety reviews due to technical verification challenges. Consequently, many cooperatives have been left with no alternative but to abandon their projects or pursue horizontal or detached building extensions instead.
To address the concentrated load on specific piles when adding floors, DL E&C devised an innovative approach utilizing post-tension technology. This method leverages the tension of strands to support the load of building slabs or bridges, and it is widely employed in the construction of skyscrapers, nuclear power plants, and bridges.
DL E&C has successfully controlled the load transmitted to the piles by installing a strand wire on the basement wall, effectively transferring the load from the wall to the building foundation. This technique ensures safety by appropriately distributing the increased load to the existing piles while minimizing the need for additional pile reinforcement.
Professor Kang Hyeon-gu from Seoul National University, who conducted a technical verification study of the post-tension load transfer method, expressed his admiration, stating, "DL E&C has overcome the technical limitations of vertical extension remodeling by presenting an unprecedented and innovative approach. This represents a truly novel technology."
With the new construction technology certification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, DL E&C can bypass the technical certification stage required by authorized institutions for future vertical extension remodeling projects. By reducing the time-consuming safety review process, which typically takes at least a year, the duration of remodeling projects is expected to be significantly shortened, thereby maximizing their feasibility and business potential.
