[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced on the 14th that it will focus on securing smart construction technologies in preparation for changes in the era such as the 4th Industrial Revolution and digital transformation.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction stated that it will discover and spread technologies by dividing the smart construction technology areas to focus on into four categories: ▲OSC (Off-Site Construction) ▲Construction Automation ▲Smart Site Management ▲Digital Project Management.
OSC technology, which involves prefabricating building structures and facilities in factories and then assembling them at construction sites, improves construction productivity and ensures work safety. Hyundai Engineering & Construction said, "Recently, we formed an in-house task force team (TFT) to focus on differentiating OSC technology." They are actively conducting research to expand the application of PC (Precast Concrete, concrete products manufactured in factories), which was mainly used for underground structures of apartments, to above-ground structures. They are applying PC panels to bridge and breakwater construction and expanding the 'dry construction method (Unit Bath Room)' that assembles factory-made materials to construct system bathrooms in housing projects.
They are accelerating the pioneering of the construction robotics field with the goal of deploying industrial robots to construction sites by 2026. Since last year, they have been developing technology utilizing 'multi-joint industrial robots' capable of precise operations comparable to human hands and arms. Starting this year, they plan to pilot 'unmanned patrol robots' for site management and 'construction work robots' to improve efficiency in repetitive tasks such as welding and painting at domestic sites. They also plan to introduce MG (Machine Guidance) and MC (Machine Control) systems that semi-automatically control construction heavy equipment by providing operators with information such as work position, depth, and tilt through sensors attached to excavators, enabling precise construction and improving productivity. Hyundai Engineering & Construction said, "We are currently piloting this at the Seosan Hankook Tire Test Track site and plan to gradually expand it." They will also develop and showcase irregular construction technology using 3D printing technology by 2022.
In the smart site management field, they aim to improve productivity and strengthen safety management by utilizing information and communication technology (ICT). They combine data acquired using drones, laser scanners, and cameras attached to construction equipment with GPS data to create 3D models of the site. This is linked with BIM (Building Information Modeling, a system integrating construction information based on 3D design methods) to efficiently manage construction progress. They also plan to advance 'HIoS,' an IoT-based site safety management system. Since its pilot introduction in 2018, it has been used in practical work this year, and they will accelerate digital project management using a big data platform.
A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official said, "Improvements in productivity and quality through smart construction technology and changes in execution systems and work environments through digital transformation will bring a major paradigm shift in the construction industry," adding, "We will continue to lead trend changes in the future."
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