Smart construction refers to construction projects that apply the latest smart technologies to the jobsite, such as drones, robots, IoT, and big data, in other words, what are commonly called Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
Meissa's drone data platform is also part of the ever-growing field of smart construction technology. Which technologies are being applied on construction sites these days? In this post, we divide the construction process into 'design', 'construction', and 'maintenance', and look at which technologies are being developed and applied at each stage.
The key smart construction technologies in the design phase are 'drone-based surveying' and 'BIM'. First, drone-based surveying is far more efficient than the conventional method of surveying manually by people. As an example, in SKT's 2019 'ICT-based demonstration project', a task that would have required five surveying experts working for 18 days was completed in just 4 days by 3 people, by applying a technology that analyzes laser reflections with a drone.
On the design side, the conventional approach used 2D drawings. Because the actual construction space is three-dimensional, design errors were often discovered only after construction had already begun according to the design. The problem is that an enormous amount of resources is consumed in the process of making design changes due to those errors.
However, BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology makes it possible to review the building's construction process in three dimensions (3D) and contains a wide range of information such as the properties of building components, the sequence of processes, and quantity take-offs, which can greatly improve understanding of the structure. This offers the advantage of correcting flawed parts of the design, minimizing construction errors, and identifying risk factors in advance so they can be addressed proactively.
The key smart technologies in the construction phase include 'drone-based site monitoring', 'IoT-based site safety management', and 'construction using 3D printers'. First, using drones for site monitoring makes it possible to grasp a wide range of site information accurately and quickly. This is exactly the main service that Meissa provides.
For example, photos of the site taken by drone are converted into information tailored to the construction site (elevation maps, orthophotos, drawing overlays, and so on) and provided to supervisors. In addition, comparison sliders, timelines, and time-lapse let you see changes on the site at a glance. Reports generated based on the analyzed data enable more efficient construction.
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IoT-based site management technology can dramatically improve the working environment for laborers. Construction workers of the future will be able to share real-time site information gathered by smart safety technologies such as cameras, drones, CCTV, and sensors at individual locations, allowing them to understand site conditions in real time and take rapid safety measures even when emergencies occur.
Personally, I think 3D printers are a truly amazing technology! Simply put, the individual components of a structure are produced separately by a 3D printer in a factory, then transported so that only assembly is done on site. It offers many advantages, including high construction accuracy, minimized waste, a lower incidence of safety accidents, and the ability to easily produce not only houses but also freeform-design structures. As a result, construction becomes far faster and cheaper than with traditional construction methods. The bridge shown in the photo above is installed in Taopu Central Park in Shanghai and was built by the Shanghai Construction Group using 3D printing technology.
Meanwhile, building maintenance is moving away from the conventional method of visual inspection by people and is instead being carried out with the help of various devices powered by AI technology.
Suwon City's 'AI road detection system' and DL E&C's 'AI apartment crack defect inspection' are representative examples. In Suwon City, road analysis devices equipped with AI and a positioning system are mounted on vehicles that drive along roads to detect road hazards such as potholes, cracks, and fallen objects in real time. The detected hazards, along with photos and location information, are immediately relayed to the responsible department, enabling rapid repair and maintenance.
DL E&C likewise uses drones to photograph apartment exterior walls and then precisely analyzes the captured images with deep learning technology to quickly identify cracks and areas in need of repair. Thanks to such advanced technology, drones and sensors can now easily inspect even dangerous places that are hard for people to reach, making it possible to create a safer and more comfortable living environment.
Beyond the technologies described above, a wide variety of smart construction technologies are being actively developed, including worker safety training through VR (virtual reality) simulations and construction automation using robots. Meissa, too, will continue to advance its technology to meet the demands of ever-changing construction sites and diverse projects.
If you are interested in adopting smart construction technology or collaborating with us, please feel free to contact Meissa at any time.
※ References
1. Lee Woon-ju, Hanwha E&C, The Evolution of Safety Management Technology: Drones, Mobile Apps, and Even VR, OhMy Construction News, 2019
2. Jin Kyung-ho, Smart Construction Technology for Innovating Construction Productivity and Strengthening Safety, 2019
3. Song Hak-ju, POSCO E&C Applies IoT-Based Real-Time Safety Monitoring on Site, NewDaily Economy, 2020
4. Kim Min-joong, China Builds a 5-Story Apartment in Just 6 Days: The Era of 3D-Printer Construction, JoongAng Ilbo, 2019
