Hyundai Elevator said on the 9th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a business partnership with GS Engineering & Construction to develop a "modular elevator method" at the Smart Campus in Chungju, North Chungcheong.
The modular elevator method is a new technology in which major equipment is premanufactured at a factory and then installed on-site in modular units. When applied, it improves safety and shortens the construction period.
Through this agreement, the two companies will develop modular elevators optimized not only for conventional reinforced-concrete apartment buildings but also for "modular apartments." To that end, they will expand cooperation across the modular construction sector, including strengthening the technical linkage and joint research and development (R&D) of modular construction and modular elevators and combining technologies for the modular method and detachable formwork structures.
The new technology will first be applied in a pilot format at GS Engineering & Construction's Siheung Geomo (A-1BL) site. It is the tallest steel modular apartment site in Korea at 14 floors, with plans to expand applications going forward.
Cho Jae-cheon, CEO of Hyundai Elevator, said, "Modular elevators will become a new paradigm in construction that brings innovation in shortening schedules and improving process efficiency, including zero serious accidents," adding, "We will present solutions to address challenges in the construction industry through collaboration with GS Engineering & Construction, a major builder."