More Than 100 School Buildings Over 60 Years Old in Seoul
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to Subdivide Safety Grade System
"Shortening Detailed Inspection Cycles, Real-Time Management with IoT"
It has been revealed that outdated buildings over 40 years old account for 34% of the total school area in Seoul. Within the next 10 years, it is expected that more than half of the buildings will be classified as "over 40 years old." The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to strengthen school safety through proactive measures, such as subdividing the safety grade system and shortening the cycle for detailed inspections.
On June 25, the Office of Education announced a "Comprehensive Safety Management Plan for Aging School Buildings" containing these measures.
Currently, the safety grades for school buildings are divided into five levels from A to E, with buildings rated D or lower subject to "reconstruction." The Office of Education will subdivide grade C, which is just above D, into four levels: C1 (good), C2 (average), C3 (insufficient), and C4 (poor), in order to fundamentally prevent exposure to structural safety risks.
In addition, the cycle for detailed safety inspections will be shortened from four years to three years, and the schedule for repairs and reinforcements will be advanced to improve budget efficiency.
The Office of Education also plans to introduce a new "IoT-based Smart Safety Management System." The goal is to establish a real-time monitoring system that can detect risks in advance and respond quickly.
Furthermore, a web-based database will be built to utilize big data, enabling the prediction of the aging speed of facilities and their future safety grades for proactive management.
Jung Geunsik, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "Through this comprehensive plan, we will do our utmost to secure the long-term safety of aging educational facilities and create an environment where students and staff can feel at ease." He added, "We will present a future-oriented direction for facility management through data-driven scientific management utilizing advanced technologies such as IoT."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
