Samsung C&T (028260) said its engineering and construction division will accelerate development of "Next Home," its customizable future housing model, using a dry-joint precast concrete method that delivers the highest level of seismic performance certified in Korea.
The company said on the 28th that it had earned technology certification from the Korea Concrete Institute for its "special moment beam-column dry-joint method," which rapidly and precisely connects columns and beams in precast concrete rigid-frame structures while achieving seismic performance at the special moment frame level.
Samsung C&T developed "Next Home," a housing innovation technology that allows residents to freely reconfigure their living space according to their lifestyle, and is applying it to new complexes. Because the design uses a column-free precast rigid-frame structure that eliminates interior columns entirely, securing the structural stability and seismic performance of the joints between supporting columns and beams has been the top priority.
Rigid-frame structures, which distribute loads through columns and beams, are classified as ordinary, intermediate or special moment frames depending on seismic performance. Performance at the intermediate moment frame level or above is essential for the main joints of high-rise buildings. But dry-joint precast construction, in which concrete members prefabricated at a factory are assembled on site, has faced limits: building loads are transferred directly to reinforcing bars, making construction technically demanding and seismic performance difficult to secure.
To overcome those limits, Samsung C&T developed a proprietary connector that combines a steel bracket and bolt fastening into a single device, earning intermediate moment frame certification in 2024. It then optimized the cross-sectional shape of the joint and repeatedly verified performance at design limits, raising seismic capacity to the special moment frame standard. This is the first time a company in Korea's construction industry has won official special moment frame certification for a dry-joint precast method.
With the certification, Samsung C&T expects to secure structural safety and construction quality for future high-rise projects using precast rigid-frame structures, while also sharply reducing overall construction schedules.
"This certification is significant because it means we have implemented the high seismic performance required for precast rigid-frame structures through a practical dry-joint technology and received official recognition for it," said Byun Dong-kyu, head of Samsung C&T's housing technology innovation team. "We will continue to lead change in the construction business through off-site construction, or OSC, and create distinctive value based on differentiated technology and quality."
Samsung C&T said it plans to further expand the scope of OSC applications and strengthen its competitiveness in future housing technology.
