Pilot Project for 'Construction Automation' Implemented in Sejong... Productivity Improvement

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 31st that it will officially implement a construction automation pilot project applying core smart construction technologies based on the 4th industrial revolution starting from the 1st of next month in the 5-1 Living Zone of the Sejong National Smart City.

The construction automation pilot project is led by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) to conduct demonstration research on construction automation and to suggest future technology development directions. It has been promoted since April 2018 in accordance with the "6th Basic Plan for Construction Technology Promotion (2018?2022)".

By managing all construction processes based on 3D BIM design, productivity and safety will be maximized, and smart technologies such as drone surveying will be implemented to conduct progress inspections and calculate earthwork volumes.

Additionally, through 5G communication, the plan is to perform excavation, transportation, and embankment work of 230,000㎥ of earth and rock using MG (Machine Guidance) and MC (Machine Control) technologies that remotely and unmannedly control electric construction equipment from the Construction Information Control Center. The volume of 230,000㎥ corresponds to the amount of earth and rock that would require 15,000 trips by 25-ton dump trucks.

MG is a system that attaches sensors to construction equipment to collect data on the equipment’s posture, location, and work range, then provides this information to the operator via a monitor, enabling productivity improvements.

MC is a more advanced system than MG, which assists operators, even those who are not skilled, to automatically perform construction by following the input design drawings.

Alongside the demonstration and research of construction automation technology, LH plans to operate a permanent smart technology demonstration center for six months until April next year, allowing the general public to view and experience smart construction technologies.

The general public can watch technology demonstrations twice every Thursday through prior online reservations. The demonstration center will be open to approximately 2,000 visitors, including industry, academia, and research stakeholders.

The opening ceremony of the smart construction automation pilot project will be held on the 1st of next month at 2 p.m. at the 5-1 Living Zone in Sejong City, attended by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, local members of the National Assembly, the LH president, the Mayor of Sejong, and the Ambassador of Sweden to Korea.

At the opening ceremony, demonstrations of construction automation will be showcased using advanced equipment such as remotely controlled excavators, autonomous transport devices, and drones.

Lee Sang-joo, Director of Technology Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "To innovate productivity in the construction industry and ensure worker safety, various efforts are needed to enable the early and effective application of core smart construction technologies at construction sites. We will strive to rapidly commercialize smart construction technologies verified at construction sites and further expect that various K-Smart construction technologies from Korea will advance into the global market."

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