Seoul Facilities Corporation Deploys Drones and Thermal Cameras for 'Special Road Safety Inspection'

Chairman Joseongil: "We Will Enhance the Effectiveness of Facility Safety Inspections Using Advanced Equipment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Facilities Corporation announced on the 26th that it conducted a special safety inspection using advanced equipment such as drones and thermal imaging cameras on 165 Seoul automobile-only road facilities, including Olympic-daero and Gangbyeonbuk-ro, in preparation for the spring thaw season.

This special safety inspection focused on preventing concrete spalling (the phenomenon where concrete partially falls off along cracks) accidents due to lower temperatures and frequent snowfall compared to previous years last winter. The inspection aimed to enhance citizen safety through a comprehensive check of the automobile-only road facilities.

The corporation inspected a total of 165 automobile-only road facilities, including 60 bridges, 22 viaducts, 4 tunnels, and 35 underpasses, through the inspection conducted until March 24. As a result, immediate measures were taken at 10 locations requiring urgent work, such as removing parts at risk of concrete spalling in places like Noryang Bridge and Banpo Underpass. Preventive maintenance will also be carried out on facilities needing repair.

A notable aspect of this inspection was the use of advanced equipment such as drones, thermal imaging cameras, and endoscopic cameras to improve the effectiveness of the inspection. Previously, inspections were limited to visual checks by inspectors on foot, focusing on accessible locations alongside external experts, which raised concerns about the reliability of the inspections. Since his inauguration, Director Cho Seong-il has formed a specialized team to address these limitations by researching excellent domestic and international cases and technologies.

In this year’s special thaw season inspection of automobile-only roads, the corporation applied suitable advanced equipment for each facility. Drones were used in locations difficult to access with aerial work platforms, thermal imaging cameras were used where accurate visual observation was difficult, such as internal concrete leaks, and endoscopic cameras were utilized in narrow spaces for inspection.

Specifically, drones enabled filming of the slab sides and undersides of high bridges, allowing inspection of concrete spalling at facilities such as the Jungnangcheon Viaduct on the Internal Circulation Road and Dongjak Bridge on Olympic-daero. Thermal imaging cameras, which measure the temperature of scanned objects to indicate leaks, were applied at locations suspected of leaks, such as the Northern Viaduct, to check for internal leaks. Endoscopic cameras were used for detailed condition inspections in places difficult to visually inspect, including the interior of Anyangcheon Bridge.

Director Cho Seong-il stated, “We plan to gradually expand the application of advanced equipment in future facility inspections by analyzing the results of this inspection in detail,” adding, “We are doing our best to ensure citizen safety through thorough facility inspections with the mindset that disasters can occur at any time.”

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