두부처럼 잘려 나간 생명들: 광주대표도서관 붕괴가 남긴 참혹한 성적표 > K-wave Trends

The most fundamental cause of this accident can be defined as ‘total welding defect’. According to an analysis by the National Disaster and Safety Research Institute, the welding condition of the key joints supporting the steel structure was miserable. The diagonal members that reinforced the main pillar diagonally were separated to the point that it was difficult to find even traces of welding, and the actual strength of the welded area was less than one-third of the design standard. As the most important structural parts did not function properly, a chain collapse phenomenon occurred in which diagonal materials fell off even with slight changes in the load applied during the pouring process. Even experts agree that it is impossible to explain the collapse of a steel structure as if it were cut so cleanly except by 100% poor welding.

What is even more shocking is that the people who led this poor construction were unprofessional workers. All four welders deployed to the site were unqualified without even a national technical qualification, and even the minimum skill test required of them was omitted. Driven by pressure to shorten the construction period, they carried out abnormal construction by inserting pieces of rebar into the gaps instead of standard welding. This was far from the ‘full penetration welding’ specified in the building specifications, and was literally an act of piling a time bomb on top of the building. The fact that unqualified people were employed in large-scale steel construction that required sophisticated technology clearly shows how much the construction company prioritized cost reduction and speed over safety.

The numerous golden times that could have prevented accidents were all lost due to the systematic concealment and 'tricks' of construction officials. During the seven inspections conducted before the accident, when a failure was determined, officials chose to select only the defective parts and secretly repair them instead of conducting a thorough investigation. The defect rate was artificially manipulated and deceived through so-called 'pre-inspection'. The fact that a welding failure rate of as high as 89% was confirmed in the police's follow-up investigation proves how thoroughly they ignored safety regulations and carried out illegal construction. The entire inspection procedure stipulated in the specifications was merely a formality, and construction officials were busy covering up the defect even after they were aware of it.

Although safety management at construction sites must be carried out transparently under the supervision of a supervisory company, that function was completely paralyzed at this site. The construction company walked away, passing all responsibility to the subcontractor, and the supervisory company turned a blind eye without taking proper action even after seeing the poor welding condition. To make matters worse, loopholes in quality control were revealed everywhere, with even the inspection process being carried out only in places where materials were piled up and easily accessible. In the end, this accident was not a simple accident of negligence, but an inevitable result of illegal construction with safety as a guarantee. Currently, the police are requesting arrest warrants for 11 people, including the construction company and supervision officials, and are holding them legally responsible, but nothing can heal the compensation for the lives of the four people who have already lost their lives.