Lotte Construction Enhances Safety and Construction Management Efficiency Using Drones

A Lotte Construction Technology Research Institute official is capturing the construction site with a drone.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] Lotte Construction announced on the 12th that it is developing a construction management system that enables safe and precise construction by utilizing drones at construction sites.

Previously, the main purpose of using drones in construction companies was generally to film the site to identify errors in land boundaries or to calculate earthwork volumes. The two drone-related technologies currently being pursued as research projects by Lotte Construction are the technology to attach geological survey equipment to drones and the development of an integrated construction management system.

First, the technology to attach equipment to drones uses Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors, allowing drones flying in the air to detect cracks on slopes densely covered with trees, which are difficult to see with the naked eye. The SAR sensor is equipment that can penetrate obstacles such as trees on the ground surface and analyze the returning radio waves to confirm the actual condition of the ground surface through which the waves passed. Therefore, it is expected that by measuring changes on the ground surface with drones during excavation work on the ground and slopes, the construction stability of the site can be enhanced. To this end, Lotte Construction plans to conduct research until 2020 in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and Pusan National University.

Through the integrated construction management system, site video information such as construction panoramas and work status will be secured, and three-dimensional spatial information of the site will be constructed. With this three-dimensional information, it will be possible to predict and respond to technical risk factors at construction sites, thereby strengthening technical safety on site. Once development is complete, real-time site information sharing and decision-making support will be possible, and it is expected that work efficiency can be maximized through information management. To achieve this, Lotte Construction plans to carry out this research project with the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and spatial information experts by the end of this year.

A representative from Lotte Construction’s Technology Research Institute said, “We are continuously introducing various 4th Industrial Revolution-related technologies to enhance technical safety and construction efficiency and conducting research for this purpose,” adding, “In addition to drones, by applying technologies such as 3D laser scanners on site, we will elevate Lotte Construction’s construction capabilities to a higher level.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.