The 4th Industrial Revolution Penetrates the Construction Industry... Efficiency Up, Safety Accidents Down

Daelim Industrial Accelerates Digital Innovation with Machine Control Technology, BIM
Industry Adopts Smart Technologies Like QR Codes, AI Robots, and Modular Systems One After Another

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The wind of the 4th Industrial Revolution is blowing through the construction industry as well. By combining various ICT technologies and advanced construction methods, it becomes possible to simultaneously improve work efficiency, cost innovation, and productivity. Worker errors can also be minimized. Through this, the plan is to enhance quality while reducing defects and safety accidents.

Daelim Industrial recently announced on the 14th that it has introduced 'Machine Control' technology at construction sites. Machine Control equips construction machinery such as excavators and bulldozers with various sensors and digital controllers, functioning like a car navigation system to assist ongoing work. Equipment operators can monitor the work scope, progress status, and surrounding conditions in real time from the driver's seat. In the case of excavators, various information such as the location and depth of excavation work can be precisely confirmed within a 20mm tolerance without separate surveying work. A Daelim Industrial official expressed expectations that "through Machine Control technology, work efficiency will be improved while drastically reducing rework caused by construction errors."

Hyundai Engineering & Construction also plans to pilot the application of multi-joint industrial robots at domestic construction sites starting this year. Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, these robots can perform tasks as precisely as a human hand. They will be initially deployed in construction sites where single tasks such as drilling and painting are possible. Robots can operate 24 hours a day, significantly shortening construction periods, and when deployed in processes with high accident risks, they can also prevent safety accidents.

QR codes, familiar in household goods and digital products, can also be seen at construction sites. Ssangyong Engineering & Construction’s ‘Digital Construction Management Platform’ allows real-time monitoring of construction status based on QR codes at construction sites. By scanning QR codes attached to building walls with a smart device app, progress by construction type can be checked or updated. Ssangyong Engineering & Construction plans to greatly reduce the costs and time spent understanding site conditions and increase work productivity through the QR code-based system.

Changes are also occurring in construction techniques. Recently, modular construction, an assembly method that stacks structures like Lego blocks, has been gaining attention. Until now, the modular market has been mainly formed in advanced countries, but recently the modular market is growing domestically as well. Among domestic construction companies, GS Engineering & Construction is actively moving in the modular business. Earlier this year, it simultaneously acquired three advanced modular companies from the U.S. and Europe, planning to strengthen its position in the global modular market through synergy among the acquired companies.

Kim Jeongheon, Executive Specialist at Daelim Industrial, emphasized, “To fundamentally secure competitiveness in the construction industry, we must break away from traditional construction methods and attitudes in step with the 4th Industrial Revolution.” He added, “Daelim has been applying Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology from the planning and design stages of all apartment complexes starting this year,” and said, “We will actively introduce smart construction technologies that utilize big data based on digital platforms.”

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