Controversy Over Responsibility for Geomdan Apartment Parking Lot Collapse... Is It Due to the 'Construction Responsibility CM' Method?

Construction Responsibility Type, Contractor Participation in Design Phase
Construction Industry "Participation from Detailed Design is Common"
LH "Will Actively Engage in Investigation and Await Results"

There is controversy over the responsibility of the developer, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), and the construction consortium (main contractor GS Construction) regarding the collapse accident that occurred at the construction site of the public sale apartment in Incheon Seo-gu Geomdan New Town AA13-2 Block (Andante Xi). This is because the site was carried out under the 'Construction Management (CM) with Construction Responsibility' method, which has ambiguous aspects.

The site of the public sale apartment construction in Block AA13-2, Geomdan New Town, Seo-gu, Incheon, where the collapse accident occurred. / Photo by Noh Kyung-jo

According to the construction industry on the 4th, the GS Construction consortium (Dongbu Construction, Daebo Construction) won the contract for the Incheon Geomdan AA13-1 and 2 Block construction in 2020 under the CM with Construction Responsibility method. The CM with Construction Responsibility system involves the contractor participating from the design stage and being responsible for the construction within the agreed construction cost. The purpose is to improve design completeness through collaboration among the developer, construction company, and designer, and to achieve effects such as cost reduction and shortening of the construction period. LH has been implementing this system since 2017.

As a result, there is speculation that the construction consortium's responsibility may be greater than expected. In fact, GS Construction is reported to have proposed minimizing level differences within the Andante Xi complex, concentrating auxiliary welfare facilities, and specialized floor plans through a pre-construction team composed of project development and management and smart construction personnel.

However, industry insiders said that the contractor's participation in the design stage generally starts from the detailed design rather than the basic design. Even if the contractor proposes design changes during this process, the developer must ultimately approve them. It is known that there are two main reasons for the contractor to request design changes: to apply better technology or construction methods, or when it is judged that following the original design poses risks.

An official from a major construction company said, "It depends on how far the developer recognizes the basic design," adding, "Regarding acceptance or rejection of design change proposals, detailed items are often written in the contract." It is premature to place all the weight on the contractor just because it is a CM with Construction Responsibility site. Of course, it is also said that it is impossible to know without reviewing the contract.

Amid concerns that the CM with Construction Responsibility could escalate into a 'blame game,' it is also suggested that the surge in raw material prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war and other factors may have had an impact. Since construction is carried out within a fixed upper limit of construction costs, there may have been insufficient use of materials due to price burdens. An LH official said regarding the various theories, "We will actively cooperate with the government investigation and wait for the results."

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has launched a detailed investigation through the Korea Infrastructure Safety & Technology Corporation. On the 2nd, Minister Won Hee-ryong visited the site and said, "We will thoroughly examine whether there were any issues from design to supervision, site monitoring, manpower, and equipment deployment," adding, "If illegal acts are found, LH and GS Construction must bear heavy responsibility." It is also reported that investigation cooperation letters were sent to related companies such as Yuseon Engineering Architects Office.

Meanwhile, the accident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on the 29th of last month when the roof layer of the 1st and 2nd floors of the underground parking lot under construction collapsed. Since it was a weekend night, there were no personnel working at the time, so there were no casualties.