Lotte Engineering & Construction said on the 29th that the jointly developed "integrated four-way sway bracing-based piping support technology for vertical and horizontal pipes," created with Doosan Engineering & Construction Co., HL D&I Halla Co., Ltd., and Make Soon Co., has obtained new construction technology certification (No. 1043) from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The new technology prevents damage to fire-protection piping caused by seismic waves and seismic loads transmitted from the epicenter during an earthquake. Since the 2015 enactment of the "seismic design standards for fire-fighting facilities," Korea has relied 100% on imported products for piping seismic technology from the United States, China, and elsewhere. In response, Make Soon Co. handled development, design, and prototype production, while Lotte Engineering & Construction and the other two builders identified on-site limitations and supplemented them through research, succeeding in developing the new technology and localizing it.
The previously used two-way sway bracing technology had a drawback: during an earthquake, movement is small where braces are installed, but piping farther from the brace swings widely due to the lever principle and is easily damaged. By contrast, the newly developed four-way technology installs two two-way braces as an integrated unit on a single pipe-coupling device to support the pipe simultaneously, further improving seismic performance and more effectively preventing pipe damage.
The technology is also an eco-friendly method that significantly reduces carbon emissions and raw material use. For an underground parking lot in an apartment complex of 500 households, only 25 locations need installation, down from 39. As a result, carbon dioxide generated during construction falls about 51%, from 17,567 kg to 9,032 kg, and raw material use is likewise cut about 50%, from 6,958 kg to 3,479 kg.
The technology has been successfully applied to sites including ▲Hadan Lotte Castle ▲Seomyeon Lotte Castle Elluce ▲Lotte Castle Lassent (Baegyangsan Lotte Castle) ▲Jangyu Lotte Tourist Hotel ▲Lotte e-Grocery Busan Logistics Center. It is also being expanded to major Lotte Engineering & Construction sites nationwide, including ▲Munhyeon Lotte Castle Infiniel, which is nearing completion, as well as ongoing projects such as ▲Lotte Castle Signature Jungang ▲Daejeon Lotte Castle The First.
A Lotte Engineering & Construction official said, "It is meaningful that we have fully localized fire-protection piping seismic technology that previously depended on overseas technology," adding, "As an innovative eco-friendly method that maximizes safety while reducing material and waste use, we will continue our efforts to develop superior technologies and expand on-site application."