▲ Panoramic view of Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport Corporation is launching comprehensive inspections and detailed evaluations of airport facilities with unclear seismic performance.
According to the Incheon International Airport Corporation on November 6, out of a total of 227 facilities related to Incheon Airport as of this month, only 93 facilities (40.9%) have verified seismic performance.
It was revealed that the remaining 134 facilities have not undergone seismic performance evaluations for up to 20 years or more, making it impossible to determine whether they meet current seismic design standards.
Although the corporation, as a disaster management responsible agency, is required to conduct seismic performance evaluations of existing facilities and establish reinforcement measures, shortcomings were identified in a significant number of airport facilities.
In particular, the Power Plant B facility at Incheon Airport, completed in 2001, is classified as a Special Grade facility—the highest level in terms of building use and scale—yet investigations showed it is at risk of collapse in the event of an earthquake of magnitude 6.1 or stronger.
Previously, the Board of Audit and Inspection, together with the Korea Authority of Land and Infrastructure Safety, conducted preliminary seismic performance evaluations on 23 airport facilities that have been completed for over 20 years.
As a result, 13 airport facilities, including Power Plant B, were assessed to be at risk of partial structural collapse or severe damage if struck by an earthquake of magnitude 6.1 to 6.5.
The Board of Audit and Inspection notified the corporation to formulate measures to secure seismic performance that meets the reinforced seismic design standards implemented following the Gyeongju earthquake in 2016 and the Pohang earthquake in 2017.
In response, the corporation plans to conduct detailed seismic performance evaluations on all 134 airport facilities by 2030 and establish seismic reinforcement plans based on the evaluation results.
An official from the Incheon International Airport Corporation stated, "We plan to complete detailed evaluations for the 13 airport facilities pointed out in the audit within this year, and proceed with the remaining facilities sequentially."
(Photo provided by Incheon International Airport Corporation, Yonhap News)
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