Seoul City Launches Smart Construction Initiative to Maximize Productivity and Safety

Jin Hee-seon, Deputy Mayor of Seoul Administration 2 (center), signed the smart construction agreement.

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 27th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six private organizations, including the Korean Society of Civil Engineers, the Architectural Institute of Korea, the Korea Information and Communication Contractors Association, the Korea Construction Association, the Construction Technology Research Institute, and Korea Expressway Corporation, to actively promote 'Smart Construction.'

Smart Construction refers to technology that integrates 4th industrial revolution technologies such as drones, robots, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and Building Information Modeling (BIM) into construction processes to digitalize and automate them, maximizing productivity and safety. It is expected to reduce on-site accidents, shorten construction periods, and cut costs.

In particular, BIM technology has been introduced in some designs for the World Cup Bridge connection road, scheduled to open in December, and is set to be actively applied to projects such as the Yeongdong-daero Underground Complex Development and the Dongbu Expressway underground road construction project, both planned for bidding this year.

According to the agreement, the Korean Society of Civil Engineers and the Architectural Institute of Korea will provide technical advice on smart construction technologies, while the Korea Construction Association and the Korea Information and Communication Contractors Association will propose improvements to smart construction systems. The Construction Technology Research Institute will be responsible for case studies and technology development related to smart construction, and Korea Expressway Corporation will cooperate in demonstration projects. The city plans to establish the first-ever 'Smart Construction Division' nationwide to introduce smart construction and will conduct pilot projects within this year.

Jin Hee-seon, Seoul’s Deputy Mayor for Administration, stated, “We will build a public-private cooperation system for smart construction technology through practical and continuous exchanges and cooperation with each organization,” adding, “We will establish a Seoul-type smart construction model that creates innovative urban infrastructure to make Seoul a comfortable and happy city for its citizens.”