Structural Condition of Old, Small Apartment Buildings in Gyeonggi-do and Residents’ Awareness of the Problems

The safety of apartment buildings in Gyeonggi-do, built over 30 years ago, is a concern. This study investigated the current structural safety of old, small 'grade D' apartment buildings, classified as disaster risk facilities, and residents' awareness of the issues. All seven cases of safety grade D and one of four grade A cases (excellent safety) of similar age were compared to see if there were structural differences or differences in residents' characteristics between the two safety grades. The research involved a structural safety diagnosis and resident interviews with a questionnaire performed from August to September 2017. The results were as follows. First, many concrete cracks, with peeling, exfoliation, exposed reinforcing steel, water leaks, and efflorescence were found inside and outside the buildings. Surprisingly, the quality of the concrete in the two cases with the worst cracks was still good. Second, the tilt in two D grade cases turned out to be grade E, irrespective of the external defect. Third, the residents of grade A and D buildings differed with respect to household income, education level, size of the unit, the allowance for long-term repairs, and community organizations. Fourth, residents' awareness of the current status of their units differed, especially with regard to the number of cracks inside the units, waterproofing, disaster safety, and crime prevention.