The state-led Gaduk New Airport project is gaining momentum. The Daewoo Engineering & Construction consortium plans to break ground on the priority construction package at the end of this year.
According to industry sources on the 25th, the Daewoo Engineering & Construction consortium plans to carry out design work for the Gaduk New Airport site development for about six months, then begin work on the priority construction package at the end of this year. The construction will then be expanded in phases and is expected to proceed as a long-term project spanning a total of 106 months.
The Deokdo New Airport project is considered one of the most challenging builds. With weak marine ground up to 40 meters deep combined with water depths of about 30 meters, observers say significant time will be needed to stabilize the site.
Daewoo Engineering & Construction's greatest strength is more than 40 years of marine civil engineering experience. Beginning with site development for the Gwangyang steel mill in 1984, it has carried out major domestic port projects, including Busan New Port, Jinhae New Port and Donghae New Port, building up its technical capacity. Overseas, it has executed large-scale projects such as the Al Faw Grand Port in Iraq and projects in Qatar and Oman, securing construction know-how for ultra-weak ground conditions.
To address the weak-ground issue, a key variable in the Gaduk New Airport project, Daewoo Engineering & Construction proposed alternatives including ▲ improvements to reclamation methods (introducing onshore-style construction) ▲ a dredge-and-replacement method (removing weak ground and replacing it with quality material). A Daewoo Engineering & Construction official said, "These methods can structurally reduce the risk of settlement."
Daewoo Engineering & Construction plans to secure safety from the design stage by applying additional ground investigations, consultations with external experts and back-analysis techniques based on measured data. The company is also building a project execution system by deploying personnel with marine construction experience, centered on about 1,000 civil engineers.
Chief Executive Kim Bo-hyun of Daewoo Engineering & Construction visited the site and said, "As this is a high-difficulty project that requires simultaneous marine reclamation and large-scale weak-ground treatment, we will concentrate Daewoo Engineering & Construction's differentiated methods and technical prowess from the design stage." Kim added, "Keep in mind the symbolic nature of this state-led project and put safety first, and from the very beginning ensure thorough preparatory work so the schedule is strictly met."