Hyundai Engineering & Construction (000720.KS), South Korea's leading builder, has commercially installed a modular elevator at a residential apartment complex for the first time in the country, marking a milestone in construction innovation.
Hyundai E&C said Sunday that it has completed installation of one modular elevator at the Hillstate Songdo Central Park site in Dongchun-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, with mechanical room installation and test runs ahead. This is the first commercial deployment for residents in an apartment complex of more than 600 units.
A modular elevator is a next-generation construction method in which key structural components and equipment are prefabricated at a factory and then only assembled and installed on site. The product installed this time is a 16-passenger high-rise, high-speed model (rated load of 1,200 kg) developed through technical cooperation with Hyundai Elevator.
The biggest advantage is shorter construction timelines. Transporting factory-assembled structures to the site and stacking them takes just two days. Including adjustments, finishing and test runs, the entire process takes about one month, cutting approximately 40 working days compared to conventional elevator installation. Early installation before structural framing is complete can reduce construction periods by up to two months.
Improved safety is another key strength. High-altitude work and welding operations previously carried out inside narrow elevator shafts after structural framing have been significantly reduced. Factory manufacturing also raises product precision and reduces quality variation.
Hyundai E&C signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Elevator last year on introducing modular elevators for residential housing and technical cooperation. The company first verified technical stability by installing a low-rise modular elevator on a pilot basis at Hillstate Icheon Station before proceeding to this commercial application.
"The overall construction schedule has been shortened, and on-site work safety and quality have improved," a Hyundai E&C official said. "We plan to gradually expand application to other projects going forward."
Meanwhile, Hyundai E&C is accelerating development of off-site construction (OSC) technologies, including building a demonstration facility based on precast concrete (PC) methods — in which concrete components are prefabricated and assembled on site — at its Mabuk research complex in Yongin.