◀ anchor ▶
In the past, a company official confided to MBC about the suspicion that bad sand was used in the concrete delivered to the Gwangju apartment where the collapse occurred.
Naturally, the strength of concrete had to be lowered, but this sand was continuously delivered due to the low unit price, and it is said that it was already known as an open secret from the inside.
Reporter Woo Jong-hoon reported exclusively.
◀ Report ▶
An onshore aggregate collection site located in Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do.
The work of washing the soil excavated by the excavator, turning it into sand, and supplying it to a ready-mixed concrete company is in full swing.
Sand produced in Hampyeong, including this company, will be supplied to about half of the construction site in Gwangju as well as the apartment complex in this accident.
However, a former employee who met with MBC reporters said that the poor quality of this sand was an open secret from within.
Unlike other onshore aggregate collection sites that collect sand from stones, the sand here has a lot of soil content, so the strength of concrete is lowered even after washing.
[골재채취장 전직원]
“With this sand, everyone in the industry predicted it would become an issue someday.”
However, sand was delivered continuously because it was closer than competing areas such as Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, and the transportation cost was less than half.
[골재채취장 전직원]
“(Transportation cost in Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do) is about 3,500 won per cubic meter. In the case of Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, 7,500 to 8,500 won…”
Before delivery to a ready-mixed concrete company, we entrust an external agency to investigate the safety of the sand.
[골재채취장 전 직원]
“(External organization) does not come and collect and request test results, but if you take a sample and give it a good thing, you will get an erroneous result.”
Other companies still supplying sand to the site in the region claimed the quality was intact.
[A 골재채취장 관계자]
“The aggregate was delivered normally, and we don’t know much about the construction part (collapsed apartment).”
However, another company complained that it was being pushed into low-cost competition at the end of the food chain at the construction site.
He said that he purchased special equipment that washed twice with high pressure to improve the quality of sand, but his contract was canceled last year because he could not meet the unit price suggested by the ready-mixed concrete company.
[B 골재채취장 관계자]
“In the case of Hyundai Development Company, there will be a lot of volume. Then it will be entered at a low price, and that’s why.”
In fact, 8 ready-mixed concrete companies that supply I-Park construction sites were found to have problems in aggregate mixing and management, and were judged unsuitable by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The police, who raided 11 ready-mixed concrete companies, said they were ‘investigating allegations that poor concrete and sand were used’ and ‘planned to investigate allegations of manipulation of test results’.
The informant who informed MBC of this fact said that he had courage when he heard the news of the missing person who was an acquaintance.
[골재채취장 전 직원]
“(The victim) could be our family or anyone, but in a way, as a citizen, there can be anger.”
This is Jonghoon Woo from MBC News.
Video coverage: Jeon Yun-cheol / Gwangju
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