POSCO E&C Strengthens Safety and Quality Management in Marine Construction with Korea's First Underwater Drone

POSCO E&C is using underwater drones at the 'Yeosu Hwatae~Baekya Road Construction Project Section 1' site to check the seabed conditions, marine plant habitats, and construction quality.
[Photo by POSCO E&C]

POSCO E&C announced on the 23rd that it will strengthen safety and quality management by applying underwater drones to marine construction for the first time among domestic construction companies.

POSCO E&C is utilizing underwater drones equipped with measurement devices such as ultrasound, Global Positioning System (GPS), and high-performance cameras at construction sites to check the seabed conditions, marine plant habitats, and construction quality. The underwater drones can operate at a speed of 2 knots (approximately 3.7 km/h) for up to 4 hours and provide real-time video information, allowing for quick and accurate assessment over a wide area.

In particular, POSCO E&C explained that the drones can be operated in environments where strong currents, deep water, or ship traffic pose accident risks, making it difficult to deploy divers, thus expected to prevent safety accidents in advance.

POSCO E&C recently demonstrated the performance of underwater drones by pilot-applying them to marine construction at four sites, including the ‘Yeosu Hwatae~Baekya Road Construction Project Section 1,’ and plans to expand their use in marine construction by introducing high-performance underwater drones capable of operating in strong currents and deep waters.

Additionally, by equipping LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which measures terrain with lasers, it will be possible to scan seabed conditions where structures such as bridges are installed and apply the data to design. Therefore, as offshore wind power projects become more active, POSCO E&C plans to actively utilize underwater drone technology in seabed construction.

A POSCO E&C official stated, “We plan to actively introduce smart technologies such as underwater drones for safety and quality in the future,” adding, “We will do our best to create a happier workplace by protecting the safety of workers on site through the use of smart construction equipment.”