ST JOSEPH ENGINEERING COLLEGE, Mangaluru

(Affiliated To Visvesvaraya Technological University (Vtu), Belagavi, Karnataka )

Seminar on the Topic:

A Case Study On The Collapse Of Sampoong Department Store

By,
Navaneeth Ramdas Bantwal
4S020CV408

Under the Guidance of

Mr. Chitharanjan M
Assistant Professor and Internal Guide
Department of Civil Engineering, SJEC
 CONTENTS
A. Introduction
B. Background
C. Cause Of Collapse
D. Immediate Aftermath
E. Investigation And
Findings
F. Impacts And Lessons
Learned
G. Conclusion
 A. Introduction
 The Sampoong Departmental store
was located in Seoul, South Korea.
 The Construction began in 1987 at a
site originally used as a landfill.
 It was one of the busiest and most
popular shopping destinations.
 It was a large and popular shopping
mall that opened in 1990.
 It was built in a highly populated
area of Seoul and was seven stories
tall.
 The owner was Joon Lee, CEO of
Sampoong Group
 B. Background
 The Sampoong Department Store was a large and
popular shopping mall located in the Seocho
District of Seoul, South Korea.
 It opened in 1990 and was built on a site that had
previously been used as a landfill. It was seven
stories tall and covered an area of over 144,000
square meters.
 It was one of the largest and most popular shopping
centers in Seoul, and it attracted thousands of
visitors each day. However, its construction and
maintenance were plagued by a number of safety
issues and building code violations.
 Despite warnings from engineers and inspectors,
the building's owner and management continued to
cut corners and ignore safety regulations, ultimately
leading to the tragic collapse of the building in
1995.
 C. Cause Of Collapse
 The collapse was caused by a number of factors, including the use of substandard materials, lack of proper
support beams, and the addition of two more floors.

 One of the main causes of the collapse was the building's owner and management used lower-quality materials
in order to save money. This included using a thinner concrete slab than required by building codes, as well as
substandard steel reinforcing bars and supports.

 It was originally designed to be a four-story office building, and the addition of three more stories for the
department store was done without properly reinforcing the structure. As a result, the building was unable to
support the weight of the additional floors.

 There were also a number of safety violations and lapses in building codes that contributed to the collapse. For
example, the building did not have sufficient fire escapes or emergency exits, and the building's air conditioning
system was not properly maintained. In addition, the building was overcrowded with merchandise, which put
additional stress on the building's structure.
Images of Collapse
 D. Immediate Aftermath
 The collapse was a devastating event that resulted in significant loss of life and property damage. In the
immediate aftermath of the collapse, rescue efforts were launched to search for survivors and recover the
bodies of the ones who had perished.

 Rescue workers worked tirelessly to try and save as many people as possible, despite the difficult conditions
and the risk of further collapse. The rescue operation involved a large number of workers, including police,
firefighters, and volunteers, who worked around the clock to search for survivors.

 Unfortunately, the collapse had resulted in the death of 502 people and trapping more that 1500 people
inside the building making it one of the deadliest structural collapses in modern history. Many of the victims
were employees or customers of the Sampoong Department Store who were shopping or working at the time
of the collapse.
Images of Rescue
team & casualties
 E. Investigation And Findings
 One of the investigations was conducted by the Korean government, which found that the collapse was
caused by a number of factors, including the use of substandard materials, lack of proper support beams, and
the addition of two more floors without proper reinforcement. The investigation also found that the
building's owner, executives, and engineers were criminally negligent in their handling of the building's
construction and maintenance.

 Specifically, the investigation found that the building's owner, Lee Joon, had directed his staff to use cheaper
construction materials and had ignored warnings from engineers about the safety of the building. The
investigation also found that the building's executives had failed to properly maintain the building's structure
and had ignored safety regulations and building codes.

 The investigation and subsequent legal proceedings highlighted the need for stricter safety regulations and
building codes in South Korea, and helped to raise awareness of the importance of proper construction and
maintenance practices in ensuring the safety of buildings and their occupants.
Representation of slab collapse
 F. Impacts And Lessons
 The public was outraged by the collapse and demanded action to ensure that such a tragedy would never happen
again. The government responded by implementing a series of reforms aimed at improving safety standards and
increasing oversight of construction projects. The collapse also had a significant impact on the reputation of the
construction industry in South Korea, which had previously been seen as a source of national pride and a
symbol of the country's economic success.

 Lessons learned from the collapse included the importance of following safety regulations and building codes,
as well as the need to prioritize the safety of workers and the public in all construction projects. The tragedy also
highlighted the importance of proper training and education for construction professionals, as well as the need
for more rigorous oversight and enforcement of safety standards.

 Overall, the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store served as a wake-up call for the construction industry
in South Korea and helped to spur significant reforms aimed at improving safety and quality in construction
projects. While the tragedy was a painful reminder of the consequences of negligence and complacency, it also
served as an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and to work towards a safer and more responsible
construction industry.
 G.
Conclusion
 The Sampoong Department Store collapse was a tragic incident that occurred in Seoul, South Korea in
1995, resulting in the loss of 502 lives.
 The collapse was caused by a number of factors, including the use of substandard materials, lack of
proper support beams, and the addition of two more floors without proper reinforcement. Investigations
found that the building's owner, executives, and engineers were criminally negligent in their handling of
the building's construction and maintenance.
 The tragedy had a significant impact on the public and the construction industry in South Korea, leading
to reforms aimed at improving safety standards and increasing oversight of construction projects.
 Lessons learned from the collapse included the importance of following safety regulations and building
codes, as well as the need to prioritize the safety of workers and the public in all construction projects.
 The significance of the collapse lies in its tragic example of the dangers of cutting corners and ignoring
safety regulations in the construction industry.
 It serves as a important reminder of the consequences of negligence and highlights the need for proper
safety measures and quality control in all construction projects. The tragedy played an important role in
raising awareness of the importance of safety regulations and quality control in construction projects and
helped to spur significant reforms aimed at improving the construction industry in South Korea.
THANKYOU