The government will conduct special inspections of 60 mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls with similar structures to prevent a recurrence of the Osan retaining wall collapse that left two dead and injured.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 18th, the government will inspect MSE retaining walls that carry risks similar to the Osan accident wall from today through on the 30th of next month. This is part of the measures to prevent a recurrence of the Osan retaining wall accident released by the Central Facility Accident Investigation Committee.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) conducted a full survey from March to April of 2,526 MSE retaining walls subject to management under the Facility Safety Act and selected the targets for this special inspection.
The full survey found a total of 363 retaining walls in which an L-shaped wall was installed on top of an MSE retaining wall, similar to the accident wall. Of those, 60 vulnerable facilities with high risk were selected by comprehensively evaluating drainage conditions such as water leakage marks and sediment in drainage channels, and deformation conditions such as settlement of the ground above and deformation of the facing wall.
For this special inspection, a joint public-private inspection team comprising the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety (KALIS), local governments, facility managers, and private experts will be deployed. The team plans to closely examine the front-face leakage marks of the retaining wall, cracks and damage in drainage channels, settlement of the upper ground and any potholes, and deformation of the facing wall and L-shaped wall. If the inspection finds any dangerous retaining walls requiring immediate safety measures, the team will recommend prompt repairs and reinforcement, and safety reviews to the management entity.
The 60 retaining walls subject to inspection will be designated for special management. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will introduce a constant management system by matching a responsible on-site expert to each facility with support from the Korea Facilities Safety Association. Over the next three years, the on-site experts will conduct safety inspections and advise the management entities to closely manage risk factors.
In addition, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will separately select 221 facilities with risk factors among general MSE retaining walls that differ in type from the accident wall. Local governments and other supervisory agencies will be directed to inspect these.
Lee Seong-min, head of the facility safety division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), said, "The core of the special inspection is to proactively identify and thoroughly manage MSE retaining walls with vulnerable structures," adding, "We will build a tight safety management system based on strong cooperation with private experts."