Seoul to Intensively Manage Railway Construction Site Subsidence... Mobilizing GPR and AI Measurement

Designation of "Priority Management Zones" for Urban Railways in Northeastern Seoul
Triple Inspection System Launched: Visual, GPR, and AI Monitoring
Suspected Areas Inspected with Endoscopic Cameras

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on August 26 that it will designate underground utility sections within large urban railway construction sites as "priority management zones." Once designated as a "priority management zone," the area will be managed through a triple inspection system consisting of GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar), artificial intelligence (AI) measurement, and visual inspection until the completion of construction.

Currently, there are three major urban railway construction sites: the Dongbuk Line Urban Railway Private Investment Project, the Phase 4 Extension of Urban Railway Line 9, and the Yeongdong-daero Underground Space Complex Development Project. At the end of July, heavy rainfall near Station 103 of the Dongbuk Line Urban Railway Private Investment Project caused rainwater to flow into the area around the retaining wall, resulting in a small-scale road subsidence measuring 50 cm wide, 70 cm long, and 80 cm deep. The on-site inspection team discovered the issue during a routine check and immediately restored the area, resolving the situation without causing any inconvenience to residents or secondary damage.

GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) Road Survey (Vehicle Type) On-site Scene. Seoul City

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided that both the ground and the interior of underground excavation sites will be visually inspected daily by professionals and construction companies, and that cracks and subsidence will be checked and recorded through GPR surveys at least once a week. If a suspected void is detected, the interior will be examined with an industrial endoscopic camera and promptly repaired.

Currently, GPR surveys are being conducted across a total length of 146 km within the Dongbuk Line Urban Railway Private Investment Project, 28.3 km within the Phase 4 Extension of Urban Railway Line 9, and 9.3 km within the Yeongdong-daero Underground Space Complex Development Project. In the first survey in July, 19 voids were discovered (11 on the Dongbuk Line, 6 on Urban Railway Line 9, and 2 on Yeongdong-daero) and immediately repaired. No additional voids have been found during the subsequent weekly inspections.

In addition to visual and GPR inspections, "AI-based smart measuring devices" have also been installed to help with rapid situation assessment and safety measures by analyzing and detecting risk signs and immediately notifying managers. Currently, 28 smart measuring devices are in operation at the Dongbuk Line construction site, 35 at the Phase 4 Extension of Seoul Urban Railway Line 9, and 4 at the Yeongdong-daero Underground Space Complex Development Project site.

When signs of potential voids are detected, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to conduct additional GPR surveys on nearby roads and sidewalks, and to promptly carry out joint investigations with relevant agencies around manholes and underground conduits. After identifying the cause, fundamental restoration and reinforcement work will be carried out. Kim Yonghak, Director of the Urban Railway Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "We are fundamentally preventing the risk of ground subsidence by proactively detecting and immediately repairing issues before they occur," adding, "We will continue to improve our safety management system to minimize safety accidents and inconvenience to citizens, and to enhance the safety of urban railway construction sites through preemptive measures and swift responses."

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