Seoul City Deploys New Technologies to Prevent Ground Subsidence

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will introduce six new ground subsidence monitoring technologies at major excavation sites in the city. This measure aims to prevent ground subsidence accidents that can occur near large-scale excavation sites.

On March 12, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it had identified ten new technologies in the field of ground subsidence prevention last year through a public contest and technology briefing sessions. Of these, six technologies were finally selected after expert consultations and on-site demonstrations confirmed their applicability and effectiveness.

On the 24th, a large sinkhole spanning four lanes occurred at an intersection near Daemyeong Elementary School in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. The area around the accident site was cordoned off on the 25th. One passenger car and one motorcycle fell into the sinkhole, and one occupant of the passenger car was transported to a nearby hospital. Currently, a motorcycle driver is trapped beneath the sinkhole. The depth is estimated to be 30 meters. 2025. 03. 25 Photo by Dongju Yoon

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The selected technologies include: ▲ the "artificial pressurization method," which applies pressure to the ground to detect changes; ▲ the "ground subsidence signal light," which activates a warning light when signs of subsidence are detected; ▲ "converged measurement technology," which analyzes ground changes by combining intelligent CCTV, LiDAR, and GPR; ▲ "distributed fiber optic sensing (DAS)," which detects underground cavities using fiber optic sensors; ▲ the "mobile underground inclinometer," which measures changes in underground tilt in real time; and ▲ the "stratified sensor method," which measures displacement for each geological layer.

Starting this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will install these technologies at six large-scale excavation sites commissioned by the city, across a total of 25 points, to strengthen ground safety management. The targeted projects are: ▲ the Dongbu Expressway (Chang-dong to Sanggye section) underpass construction; ▲ Dongbu Expressway underground construction (Yeongdong-daero); ▲ Seobu Expressway conversion to general road and eco-friendly space development; ▲ Seosomun Overpass reconstruction (performance improvement); ▲ National Assembly Boulevard underground and park development; and ▲ Dongbuk Line urban railway construction (Sections 1-4).

At the ongoing underpass construction sites for the "Dongbu Expressway (Chang-dong to Sanggye section)," "Dongbu Expressway underground construction (Yeongdong-daero)," and "National Assembly Boulevard underground construction," technologies such as the "artificial pressurization method," "ground subsidence signal light," and "mobile underground inclinometer" will be installed around areas with a high likelihood of ground movement, such as vertical shafts, to continuously monitor ground changes during excavation.

At the Anyangcheon pedestrian walkway construction site, which is part of the "Seobu Expressway conversion to general road" project, the converged measurement technology that combines intelligent CCTV, LiDAR, and GPR exploration technologies will be applied. With the help of artificial intelligence, ground displacement will be monitored 24 hours a day to ensure safety management in non-open-cut (non-excavated) construction areas.

At the "Seosomun Overpass reconstruction" site, where the old overpass is being demolished and a new one is being built, the "distributed fiber optic sensing (DAS)" technology will be applied. This technology can detect subtle vibrations deep underground that are difficult to identify with existing measurement devices, enabling the early detection of potential underground cavities.

At the "Dongbuk Line urban railway construction" site, where underground tunnels and stations are being excavated, the "stratified sensor method" will be used. This technology measures ground movements in each geological layer in real time to enable the early detection of abnormal signs.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to invest a total of 595 million won to sequentially install these new measurement devices at construction sites in line with project progress. In addition, the city will enhance ground subsidence safety management at construction sites by monitoring ground changes with greater precision. Byungyong Han, Director of Disaster and Safety at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "Starting this year, we will fully apply the technologies whose effectiveness was verified last year through discovery and on-site demonstration. We will scientifically manage invisible underground risks to prevent ground subsidence accidents and create an urban environment where citizens can feel safe."

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