HanmiGlobal Completes 'Seoul National University Haedong Advanced Engineering Building' Project with PM Participation

by Roh Kyungjo

Published 29 Apr.2024 10:19(KST)

HanmiGlobal announced on the 29th that it has successfully completed the Seoul National University Haedong Advanced Engineering Building project, which it has managed from the early stages of construction.

Night View of Haedong Advanced Engineering Building, Seoul National University / Photo by HanmiGlobal

The Haedong Advanced Engineering Building, an artificial intelligence (AI) research facility within the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, was constructed as a 7-story building with a total floor area of 10,000㎡. It is expected to be utilized as a complex industry-academia-research facility housing various future technology research startups, including the AI Graduate School, Embodied AI, AI Robotics, and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) computing.

The Haedong Advanced Engineering Building attracted attention for using eco-friendly wood as its structural material. The heavy timber structure applied to the central courtyard area reaches a height of 7 stories, making it one of the tallest wooden structures in Korea. Although wooden structures are an eco-friendly construction method that reduces industrial waste and carbon emissions, their use in high-rise buildings has been limited due to concerns about fire safety and durability. To overcome these weaknesses, the Haedong Advanced Engineering Building used an advanced material called "glulam wood," which is made by laminating thin layers of wood to increase strength.

HanmiGlobal was responsible for construction project management (PM) from the planning stage of this project. The construction company was selected during the early design phase, and HanmiGlobal closely collaborated with the designers to realize the design intent. During this process, digital project management technologies were actively utilized.

First, during the design phase, 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) was used to clearly visualize the building’s exterior and internal structure. A metaverse virtual space was created to simulate the building’s appearance at completion, allowing for pre-verification of design errors. Potential interferences during construction were corrected in advance, reducing unnecessary construction costs. During the construction phase, drones were deployed to monitor construction progress and site changes, and the captured images were compared with design documents to enhance construction accuracy. At the completion stage, a 3D scanner was used to scan the entire interior of the building. HanmiGlobal explained that this helped identify quality defects that were not detected on site.

Kim Seung-wook, Executive Director of HanmiGlobal and the site PM leader, said, "All parties including the client, PM company, designers, and contractors worked as one team with the goal of creating the nation’s best AI research facility." He added, "The Haedong Advanced Engineering Building is an excellent pre-construction (Pre-Construction) case applying the latest design, construction, and PM techniques, and will serve as a model for the development of the construction industry."