Samsung C&T wins Korea's first top-grade seismic certification for precast concrete joint technology

Samsung C&T has developed a precast concrete dry-joint construction method with the country's highest seismic performance rating and obtained official certification, accelerating the commercialization of its future housing concept, "Next Home."

The construction division of Samsung C&T announced Monday that it had received technology certification from the Korea Concrete Institute for its "PC special moment beam-column dry joint method," which connects columns and beams in a precast concrete rahmen structure simply and efficiently while achieving top-tier seismic performance.

The officially certified technology is formally named the "precast concrete special moment beam-column dry joint method using a box-type connector with mechanical rebar splicing and bracket functions."

Samsung C&T is leading innovation in future residential technology through Next Home, a concept that allows residents to configure interior spaces freely according to their lifestyle. At its core is a column-free precast concrete rahmen structure that eliminates interior columns within each unit, relying instead on columns and beams to support the building — making structural safety and seismic performance at the joints essential.

Precast concrete dry joints, which involve assembling factory-made columns and beams on site, offer excellent constructability. However, the structural characteristic of transferring forces directly through rebar at the joints had long limited the achievable level of seismic performance.

To overcome this, Samsung C&T developed a connector that integrates a seismic steel bracket with a bolt-fastening function, earning intermediate moment frame certification in 2024. After optimizing the joint geometry and conducting extreme performance tests, the company raised the seismic rating to the special moment frame level — making Samsung C&T the first in Korea to receive special moment frame certification using a precast concrete dry joint method.

The certification is expected to significantly improve structural safety and construction quality in high-rise buildings that use precast concrete frames. In addition, minimizing on-site work is expected to shorten construction timelines.

Byeon Dong-gyu, head of Samsung C&T's housing technology innovation team, said the company would "continue to lead change in the construction industry through off-site construction methods and create unrivaled value based on differentiated technology and quality."

Meanwhile, Samsung C&T's construction division posted sales of 3.99 trillion won ($2.93 billion) and operating profit of 202 billion won in the second quarter of this year. Sales rose 17.5 percent, or 593 billion won, from 3.4 trillion won in the same period last year. Operating profit climbed 71.2 percent, or 84 billion won, from 118 billion won a year earlier.