[WORD_ON_THE_WEB] 'Companies responsible for faulty buildings should be punished'

Starting this August, newly-built apartments will have to comply with stricter soundproofing regulations.

Construction companies will be required to conduct a shock absorption test on the floor and report the results.

If the results do not meet the new criteria, the companies will either need to pay compensation to the unit owners or improve the design.

The bar for light impact noise will be lowered from 58 decibels to 49 decibels and for heavy impact noise 50 decibels to 49 decibels.

Before the change, the noise level was tested in a lab before construction, and only floor designs proved to be effective were allowed to be used. The floors were not tested on site.

#from_the_planning_stage
"Noise should be taken into consideration from the planning stage. Supplementing the structures afterward is inefficient."
“Supplementary construction? Why don’t they plan for noise reduction before construction? This way they'll have to do twice the work."

#what_about_existing_apartments?
“What about the noise problem in existing apartments? We need regulations.”
“What about the apartments already built? The constructors need to repair or compensate for faulty buildings. Better late than never."

#technical_solution
“There must be some technical solution for the noise. It's just not implemented because of costs. We need government regulations. The companies responsible for faulty buildings should receive punishment.”
“Why aren't apartments built like other skyscrapers? You never hear footsteps coming from upstairs in those buildings. The root cause of the problem is companies trying to cut costs.”

BY LEE SI-YEOUNG, YOO JI-WOO [yoo.jiwoo@joongang.co.kr]