Excessive cutting of support columns blamed for deadly Ulsan power plant collapse
The deadly collapse of a boiler tower at a power plant in Ulsan last November was caused by excessive cutting of support columns ahead of its planned demolition by explosives, according to a probe result released Friday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport released the findings of an investigation committee into the deadly accident at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant, about 300…
Last November, a boiler tower at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant collapsed during demolition preparations, resulting in seven deaths and two injuries, according to a probe conducted by South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The culprit, as revealed by investigators, was excessive cutting of support columns ahead of the planned demolition, caused by flawed structural assessments.
The boiler tower, standing 63.4 meters tall, was part of Unit 5 at the plant located approximately 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The investigation committee found that the reduction of support columns was excessive, causing them to lose their ability to support the upper structure's weight.
To avoid similar accidents in the future, the committee recommended stricter on-site inspections, new technical standards for demolition work, and tighter oversight of high-risk demolition projects.
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