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- Newly developed floating trash interceptor cleans up the river Newly developed floating trash interceptor cleans up the river - 30% Reduction in waste disposal cost per ton To reduce marine debris, which causes serious environmental pollution in the sea, researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim, Byung-suk) have developed a technology for reducing floating debris in rivers. Since the river is the main transportation channels for land-originated marine debris, the research team led by Dr. Sang Hwa Jung launched a living lab project involving local governments, local citizens, and experts. Chungcheongnam-do (also known as Chungcheongnam Province and Chungnam) has the third longest coastline in South Korea, with a total of 500 rivers and streams in the region. The amount of marine debris in Chungnam has been increasing every year, and marine debris flowing in through rivers accounts for about 61.2% of the total. Accordingly, Chungnam installed and operated an interceptor facility in 2019, but structural damage occurred during heavy rains and floods, which needed to be resolved. The main reason for this damage is that the structure and functions of the interceptor were not designed in consideration of the geometry and characteristics of the river (water level, width, flow rate, water level change, etc.). In addition to ensuring the structural safety of the interceptor, the project's key objectives were to develop and test an interceptor facility with collection support functions for convenience of collection, responsiveness to changes in water levels of rivers, and monitoring functions to identify appropriate collection timing. Dr. Jung's research team conducted research in the following stages: characterization of the target river, selection of the optimal river point, design of the barrier, support piles, and connections, and on-site construction of the interceptor facility. In particular, the design and construction of the interceptor facility was carried out jointly with Foresys Co., Ltd., and the numerical model experiment and full-scale empirical tests were carried out at the River Experiment Center in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The River Experiment Center covers an area of 192,051㎡. The center has the largest testing infrastructure in South Korea with a flow supply capacity of up to 10 ㎥/s, providing an optimal empirical testing infrastructure. Utilizing the outcomes of this study, an interceptor facility was constructed and put into operation in May 2023 on the Yugu-cheon (also known as Yugu Stream) located in Gongju, Chungnam. During the project, a monitoring system was built based on the opinions of local governments to determine the appropriate collection time and check real-time information on the operation status. Based on the image data acquired through this, a support system was also developed. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the amount and composition of floating debris in the river and determine the appropriate collection cycle. "Garbage that enters the sea is difficult to collect due to its wide spreading nature and contains impurities (salts, mud, etc.) that increase the cost of cleaning-up process, so it is necessary to intercept and collect it from rivers before it enters the sea," said Dr. Jung. He also emphasized that "by combining traditional river engineering with advanced technologies such as information technology and AI, these technologies can solve local problems and global environmental problems furthermore." The project is highly anticipated by the local community for the living lab-based convergence technology development and sustainability. The interceptor facility and monitoring system installed at Yugu-cheon will be in operation and continuously improved until 2026, and discussion with relevant local governments is underway to spread the results to other rivers in the future.###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life. This research was funded by the "Development and Demonstration of Land-based Debris Barrier System for Stream (2022-2023, jointly conducted by Foresys Inc.)” project implemented by the Ministry of Science and ICT (National Research Foundation of Korea) as a research project for finding engineering solution of local government issues. Regdate 2023/12/06
- Contactless Coupler, the Innovation and Advancement in the Connection of Precast Concrete Member Contactless Coupler, the Innovation and Advancement in the Connection of Precast Concrete Member-Secure and robust connection of precast/modular structures with easy and simple assembly! - The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim, Byung-Suk) has developed a new Contactless Coupler that can efficiently improve the constructability of precast concrete (hereinafter referred to as PC).Recently, Off-site Construction (OSC) has been actively used worldwide to solve the problems at complex construction sites. The OSC method minimizes on-site work by prefabricating parts of the structure and then simply assembling and constructing them on-site. In particular, Korean construction sites are promoting OSC to solve the problem of aging skilled workers and labor shortages.The PC method, one of the representative OSC methods, is a method of manufacturing and constructing large structural members with divided reinforced concrete. The conventional rigid connection method to connect PC members directly connects two rebars facing each other at the PC connection. This method requires separate rebar processing and fitting a coupler device. If a rigid connection is not secured, it can cause damage to the structure due to poor construction. The Contactless Coupler, newly developed by the KICT research team (Research Director: Dr. Kim, Kun-Soo), does not require a separately processed rebar and is very easy to install. The Contactless Coupler utilizes the bonding force between the rebar and concrete instead of the direct connection of the rebar. The tensile stress generated by the rebars installed in the Contactless Coupler is transformed into the bonding force, then transferred to the 'spiral bar' and finally to the 'connector bar.' Here, the expanded ribs that make up the Contactless Coupler play an essential role in reducing the development length of the coupler by maximizing the bonding force.Dr. Kim's research team conducted beam tests, tensile tests, and real-scale tests to verify the structural performance of the Contactless Coupler. Despite the significant reduction in construction difficulty compared to the existing method, the structural performance required for the coupler was satisfied. "Contactless Coupler's excellent performance and ease of use can be used in various OSC construction methods," said Dr. Kim, Kun-Soo, also adding that "In the future, the Contactless Coupler is expected to have a great effect on preventing manpower problems and safety accidents at construction sites based on its easy constructability." The core technology of the Contactless Coupler is patented by PCT (International Application No.: PCT/KR2023/010116). The research team is currently researching construction automation, modularization, and lightweight and will develop new design codes and predictive formulas to expand the utility and applicability of the Contactless Coupler. Dr. Kim, Kun-Soo ###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) is a government sponsored research institute established to contribute to the development of Korea’s construction industry and national economic growth by developing source and practical technology in the fields of construction and national land management.The funding for the research was provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT. An article explaining the some cases results of this research was published in the renowned international journal, Engineering Structures, in September 2023. (IF:5.5) Regdate 2023/11/29
- BIM-based Digital Collaboration Platform, Initiating Construction Digitalization BIM-based Digital Collaboration Platform, Initiating Construction Digitalization - Implementation of BIM-based digital collaboration platform as key driver of digital transformation in construction industry - Development of world-class collaboration platform in compliance with international standard (ISO 19650) A Korean research team has developed a BIM-based digital collaboration platform that allows construction owners and engineers to collaborate with each other on digital design tasks. The importance of digital transformation has been increasingly recognized worldwide. Digital transformation refers to the process of leveraging digital technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and big data, to innovate conventional operating systems. The Korean government is actively working toward achieving digital transformation in the construction industry by 2030, with a primary focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM), fundamentally changing the ways construction tasks are performed and information management systems work. From a conventional perspective, collaboration in the construction sector is often seen as merely sharing an integrated workspace. However, this approach comes with drawbacks associated with space rents, difficulties in properly managing collaborative information, and ambiguity in defining roles and responsibilities. These problems can be addressed by establishing an integrated digital work environment for collaboration. Against this backdrop, the BIM Cluster Research Team (led by Dr. Hyounseok Moon) of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk), developed a cloud-based BIM collaboration platform aimed at digitalization of collaboration in order management and design tasks for the first time in Korea. The developed technology thoroughly complies with the Common Data Environment (CDE) system for BIM information management proposed by the international standard ISO 19650. It also integrates BIM order placement and design collaboration processes into an online environment. The developed platform streamlines conventional order placement and design collaboration processes, reducing the time required by more than 30%. This platform integrates more than 20 BIM files to concurrently visualize, review, approve, submit, and manage them. Another key advantage is that it allows for real-time collaboration, regardless of when or where you are, through a digitalized construction work environment, eliminating the need for printed documents. The research team established an online environment for digital collaboration while developing its own cloud environment to ensure data security across public facilities. For services using overseas public clouds, in particular, it is possible to build a platform that complies with a customized cloud environment while ensuring data security. Predefined unit functions for collaboration are made available as open sources through a collaboration tool development framework. These features allow anyone to develop the online collaboration tools they want, adding scalability to this approach. Additionally, the research team has implemented an integrated web-based visualization viewer, specifically designed to visualize various BIM data for review on a single screen, including various meetings; issue management; schedule management; BIM data review, approval, and management; BIM models; documents; drawings; and images. This viewer facilitates online collaboration among relevant stakeholders, enabling them to work together seamlessly. The researchers have recently developed an online collaboration web service in the form of software as a service (SaaS). This open-source-based integrated viewer allows various documents, drawings, and models to be visualized and displayed on a single screen. All these functions empower multiple team members to collaboratively review BIM models and efficiently record and address relevant issues in real time. Furthermore, when linked to commercial software packages and platforms (Autodesk, Bentley, etc.), this system also facilitates the seamless exchange and sharing of any BIM data created by engineers, demonstrating exceptional versatility and interoperability. The developed platform can be an attractive, cost-effective option for countries, including Korea, aiming to establish their own BIM collaboration platforms that meet international standards. Dr. Hyounseok Moon, who led the project, said, "There will certainly be a transition from traditional work processes reliant on written documents, offline interactions, and manual labor to BIM-based digital collaboration processes. The platform developed by KICT will significantly contribute to this digital transformation across the construction industry." ### The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life. This research was funded by the "Development of BIM-based Digital Collaboration Platform supporting Order and Design Process for the Infrastructure Projects(2022-2024, jointly conducted by Basissoft, Saman, NHNInjeINC, SangSangJinHwa, Korea Express Corporation)”project implemented by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement) as a research project for promoting road construction and traffic technology. Regdate 2023/11/27
- State-of-the-art Nanomaterial Enabling Ecofriendly Removal of Fine Dust Precursors State-of-the-art Nanomaterial Enabling Ecofriendly Removal of Fine Dust Precursors- Development of world's first alkaline ceramic nanocomposite material that can reduce fine dust precursors at room temperature in an eco-friendly manner Over the past decade, fine dust conditions in Korea have worsened, as perceived by the general public, with an increase in the number of days per year featuring high-concentration fine dust. Additionally, the previous maximum fine-dust concentration level has been surpassed. In response, the Korean government has expanded its financial investment in efforts aimed at addressing fine-dust issues. Fine dust consists of particles that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. When these particles enter the human body through the skin and respiratory system, they can cause various diseases. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Environment Institute, three in ten people in Korea have experienced fine dust-induced diseases. Notably, NO2 and NO, among the main components of exhaust gas, are known as sources of fine dust. Against this backdrop, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk) has developed a material for key components that can absorb NOx and SOx in an eco-friendly and efficient manner. Currently, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and flue gas desulfurization (FGD), based on oxidation-reduction reactions, are among the most widely used methods to remove NOx and SOx in the field. These techniques, however, require large amounts of thermal energy and high temperatures. Simply put, they are high-energy-consuming methods. As an alternative, the ‘Environmental Nanomaterials Laboratory’ under the KICT's Department of Environmental Research has recently developed a material that can immediately mineralize pollutants via a complex mechanism in which SOx and NOx is easily adsorbed and oxidized at room temperature. Another advantage of the state-of-the-art nanocomposite material developed by a research team led by Dr. Jiyeol Bae is that it can be regenerated for recycling through simple chemical treatments, so that it can be repeatedly reused. This ceramic nanomaterial, composed of sodium-manganese oxides, is a hybrid material that combines adsorption and oxidation reactions, which chemically absorbs SOx and NOx while immediately mineralizing them into sulfate ions and nitrite ions. The research team published the world's first paper on materials capable of mineralizing acid gases at room temperature. They will continue their study to make the developed material more widely applicable as an energy-efficient and eco-friendly solution for efficiently reducing SOx and NOx gases. Dr. Jiyeol Bae, who led this project, said, “With the development of this novel nanomaterial, it is now possible to implement a system that can reduce fine-dust precursors from urban environments in an eco-friendly and cost-effective manner. All these efforts will help the general public enjoy clean and healthy air.” ###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life. The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, of the Republic of Korea. An article explaining the results of this research was published in the 13 issue of Scientific reports this year, a renowned international journal in the environmental and chemistry field (IF:4.997). Regdate 2023/11/20
- Discovery of Factor Causing Deviation in Apartment Impact Sound insulation Discovery of Factor Causing Deviation in Apartment Impact Sound insulation- Characteristics of the floor slab identified as the primary cause of insulation variation - Impact sounds, such as footsteps or items dropping from neighboring units, are particularly bothersome in apartment complexes. Such noises can invade one's personal space. In newly built apartments, soundproofing structures like floating floors are employed to minimize these disturbances. The choice of materials and structural designs can significantly dampen sounds, resulting in a more peaceful living environment. To gauge noise transmission within buildings, the heavy-weight impact sound is assessed. However, even within the same building and with identical layouts, variations in performance can arise when the same floating floor is used. Surprisingly, there has been a scarcity of scientifically documented cases explaining these performance discrepancies. This lack of data has led to an absence of consistent methods to manage and ensure performance uniformity. Researchers in South Korea have shed light on the factors causing deviations in impact sound performance. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-Suk) conducted on-site measurements to analyze the impact sound across different units within a building. Through observation of the spatial distribution of heavy-weight floor impact sounds according to household location, it was discovered that the similarity of sounds in households on the same floor was higher than in those located on different floors. This phenomenon is likely attributed to households on the same floor sharing a consistent floor slab. Dr. Shin said, "The Korean government implemented a policy in August 2022 to randomly sample and analyze 2% of total households based on their house plans. Recognizing the factors that influence heavy-weight impact sound will aid in selecting sample households for measurement. Moreover, for construction companies, this insight can serve as foundational data for designs that consider floor impact sound." The conclusions drawn from this study are anticipated to provide a vital foundation for more effectively managing impact sounds in apartment complexes. ###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life. The research was conducted backed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korean Government. An article explaining the results of this research was published in the issue of Applied Acoustics, a renowned international journal in acoustics with broad impact in engineering applications (IF:3.4). Regdate 2023/10/26
- KICT Develops Scan to BIM for Reverse Engineering from 3D Vision Data KICT Develops Scan to BIM for Reverse Engineering from 3D Vision Data- Newly developed cost-effective technology - Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (President Kim Byung-suk) has developed building scan to BIM (Building Information Modeling)-based reverse engineering technology required for 3D geospatial information modeling domains such as digital twin information modeling.Scan to BIM-based reverse engineering technology was studied to prevent errors and rework caused by manual work when modeling shapes or BIM from 3D scan data. Existing reverse engineering work is either done based on a lot of manual work or semi-automatically using expensive overseas software.KICT Research Fellow Dr. Kang Tae-wook and the international joint research team (University of North Florida, Prof Jonghoon Kim., Purdue University, Prof Kyubyung Kang., IUPUI, Prof Dan Koo., The State University of New York, Prof Jongseong Brad Choi) developed Scan to BIM technology customized for each reverse engineering purpose based on accumulated 3D vision, deep learning, and data processing pipeline technologies. This technology automatically segments objects from 3D point cloud data, extracts shape information, and creates BIM objects. Through this, information model creation time and rework required for digital twins can be dramatically reduced. In this regard, productivity analysis cases were presented through SCIE paper (Kang, 2023, Scan to BIM Mapping Process Description for Building Representation in 3D GIS, Applied Sciences). According to published data, this technology improves reverse engineering productivity by 23.7 times and improves the amount of modeling information by 110.21%. Additionally, this technology can be customized depending on the purpose. This technology is used for 3D precision map construction, 3D vectorizing, abnormal pattern detection during construction site safety management, precise construction management, and 3D digitalization of spatial information using the location, size, and direction information of objects required from scanned image data, etc. It can be used as a base technology that can be used in vision-based robotics and autonomous driving support systems. The developed technology is being tested on-site with a scan reverse engineering company (BNG Co., Ltd) collaborating with Trimble Building Point in Korea and overseas partner organizations. In addition, for the development of the industry, some technologies were open-sourced and shared on GitHub (github.com/mac999/scan_to_bim_pipeline).Dr. Kang said, "Currently, Scan to BIM reverse engineering automation technology is difficult to specialize for each purpose in construction, and the cost for the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry to utilize the technology is also high." "The recently developed Scan to BIM technology will greatly help AEC domestic industrial competitiveness," he added.###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life. This achievement is a research result related to the ‘3D vision & AI based Indoor object Scan to BIM pipeline for building facility management (2023)' project of the Korea Construction Research Institute's international research project. Regdate 2023/10/23
- KICT Develops Road Pothole Filtering Program based on AI KICT Develops Road Pothole Filtering Program based on AI- Establishing an Efficient Emergency Response System Using an AI Pothole Inspection Tool - The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-Suk) has developed a 'Road Pothole Filtering Program' to establish an emergency road restoration system for frequent pothole occurrences. Commonly referred to as 'the landmine of the road,' potholes are a road damage phenomenon in which parts of the asphalt sink into bowl-like depressions. Potholes occur when a significant amount of rainwater infiltrates the road surface, weakening the ground below and causing the asphalt pavement to collapse under the weight of passing vehicles. The occurrence of potholes has increased as abnormal weather phenomena such as heavy rainfall and heavy snowfall, which has spiked due to the recent global warming. Potholes that form on roads cause inconveniences for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. They also lead to various levels of traffic accidents. The KICT research team led by Dr. Moonsup, Lee, has developed a new pothole filtering program. The server-based pothole filtering program, which will be added to the Public Data Management System (PDMS), is designed to review primary pothole information detected by the pothole detection program. The pothole detection program, operated by the Land Management Office, under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is a mobile-based application used for detecting potholes. However, high-specification programs cannot run on mobile devices due to limitations in device performance. As a result, for initially detected pothole information, it is necessary to implement a system that filters out objects resembling potholes, such as shadows, lane markings, and tires. The research team has developed and trained an artificial intelligence algorithm to exclude objects other than potholes from the primary pothole information transmitted to the server, effectively selecting the real ones. Once the training of the pothole filtering program is complete, it proceeds to inspect the primary pothole information. Its algorithm was designed to use the inspected potholes and other objects as training data for further program enhancement. Dr. Lee’s research team has established a system using the developed pothole filtering program to automatically transmit verified pothole information to the road maintenance personnel of the Land Management Office every 3 hours. Dr. Moonsup. Lee, the lead researcher, said, 'We anticipate that the newly developed system will reduce the processing time of emergency pothole restoration on roads.‘ ###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) is a government sponsored research institute established to contribute to the development of Korea’s construction industry and national economic growth by developing source and practical technology in the fields of construction and national land management.The results of the study on the program for pothole detection using artificial intelligence were presented at Maireinfra 2023 (2023.08.16-19), a prominent international conference in the field of infrastructure. Regdate 2023/09/18
- Preventing Ground Collapse through New AI-based Monitoring Preventing Ground Collapse through New AI-based Monitoring -Utilizing digital underground information to predict urban ground collapse risks- As severe urban overcrowding is trending worldwide many underground development projects are being carried out in metropolitan centers worldwide. South Korea has experienced problems such as aging underground facilities and inaccurate information management due to rapid urban development since the 1970s and 1980s. Accident prevention has become a major challenge since accidents in underground spaces have occurred due to various causes. The Korean government is undertaking projects to digitize underground facilities and ground information and establish a 3D underground space information database to prevent underground safety accidents that cause casualties and property damage. However, there hasn't been a concrete solution for the digital-information-based underground safety management, which is the primary goal of this database development. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk) has developed an AI-based predictive model, which is called “AI-based CRPM(Collapse Risk Prediction Model)”, that effectively provides warning for the risk of ground collapse using 3D underground space information. The newly developed AI-based CRPM applies to actual sites, capable of predicting risks using only the elements included in the existing digital underground information set up by local governments. Korea has seen its share of ground collapse accidents caused by damage to underground facilities or loss of soil under roads and buildings. For example, the rupture of a heat transport pipe that led to the fatal ground collapse accident at Baekseok Station in Ilsan and the collapse of a convenience store at Naksan Beach in Yangyang led to extreme damage. It is crucial to prepare for unexpected large-scale disaster damages such as the collapses in Guatemala City, Guatemala and Guangzhou, China. The AI-based CRPM developed by Dr. Kang Jaemo's research team is based on an AI algorithm that predicts the risk of ground collapse by utilizing attribute information of six types of urban underground facilities (water, sewage, communication, electricity, gas, heating). This model predicts the risk of ground collapse in three stages (safe, caution, and danger). Reliability analysis conducted for areas where actual ground collapses occurred showed an accuracy of approximately 80%. The developed AI-based CRPM has a feature that visualizes the three-stage risk levels on a GIS-based map, allowing it to be used as an accident prevention decision-making safety tool when prioritized and detailed investigations in risky sections or the early replacement of underground facilities are required. The AI-based CRPM developed by the KICT research team demonstrates high reliability and is ready for on-site usage. Additional research is underway to improve its reliability to over 90% for even more precise predictions. Dr. Kang Jaemo, the lead researcher, said, "Our newly developed model is expected to predict ground collapse risks accurately and significantly contribute to the prevention of future underground safety accidents when adopted by local governments." ###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life. This research was part of a major KICT project, "Underground Space DB Accuracy Improvement and Underground Utilities Safe Management Technology (project no. 20230116-001)", funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The research findings have been published in the latest issue of the international academic journal in applied science, 'IEEE Access' (IF: 3.9). Regdate 2023/09/14
- Understanding river alteration via shifting flow regime Understanding river alteration via shifting flow regime - Long-term investigation shows bio-geomorphic alteration through shifting flow regime in a modified monsoonal river - Researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk) published their findings on the drastic short-term alterations in rivers accompanied by shifts in vegetation and geomorphology drawn from actual on-site investigation and analyses and not from model simulations.The alteration processes from a 'white river,' characterized by riverbeds with no vegetation including bare sandbars, to a densely vegetated 'green river' with grass and trees, have been observed in various rivers. Rivers are where continuous interactions between flowing water, vegetation, and morphology occur. The alteration arises from a combination of both natural and human factors, such as climate change and environmental change in the watershed. The alteration can also be triggered by short-term hydrological shifts like droughts, particularly in rivers affected by the monsoon climate, characterized by abundant precipitation in summer and prevailing dry conditions in winter. The research team led by Dr. Chanjoo Lee at KICT has conducted a research project in collaboration with the Dutch research institute Deltares to analyze the characteristics of short-term river alterations found in Naeseongcheon Stream, South Korea, and interpret their causes.Naeseongcheon Stream, which flows through the inland areas of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, is a dynamic sandy river with well-preserved natural features, vibrant vegetation dynamics, and active sediment transport due to hydrological fluctuations. KICT has been conducting long-term monitoring of the Naeseongcheon Stream since 2012 before significant vegetation encroachment started using light detection and ranging (or LiDAR) surveys, hydrological surveys, and vegetation mapping. Dr. Chanjoo Lee’s research team used aerial photographs of the area from the 1990s to 2019, with LiDAR survey data gathered from 2013 for the project. The research findings revealed that Naeseongcheon Stream had experienced a gradual increase in vegetation encroachment on the riverbed since the 1990s, but the most significant surge occurred between 2014 and 2015. The sharp increase was attributed to a decrease in water flow and the absence of flooding due to a drought that affected the area during that period. As a result, the riverbed has undergone a rapid alteration from a typical white river to a heavily vegetated green river. From the geomorphological perspective, the sand river that once flowed wide and shallow became narrow and deep, allowing the surrounding areas once covered with water and sandbars to turn into lush floodplains overgrown with vegetation.In the joint research, KICT and Deltares identified several underlying factors contributing to the changes in Naeseongcheon Stream, including artificial factors such as water quality issues (eutrophication) that many modern rivers face, rising spring temperatures that lead to early vegetation encroachment and growth, and climate change as an over-arching driver, which causes temperature rise and fluctuations in river flow. Shorter white river phases formed by flooding and longer green river phases dominated by abundant vegetation can be observed as sand rivers in temperate climates like Naeseongcheon Stream gradually undergo sub-tropicalization caused by climate change. “Through this research, we gain insights into the interactions between hydrology, vegetation, and river morphology, which contribute to river alterations," said Dr. Chanjoo Lee at KICT, the lead researcher of the project. "We anticipate that the research findings can be utilized in formulating river management strategies, including flood control and vegetation management.” ###The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s lives.The research was conducted backed by the Ministry of Science and ICT. An article explaining the results of this research was published in the latest issue of River Research and Applications, a renowned international journal in the environmental sciences and water resources (IF:2.2). Regdate 2023/08/22
- Newly Developed BIM-based Digital Design Workflow for Road Safety Improvement Newly Developed BIM-based Digital Design Workflow for Road Safety Improvement- Digital design optimization of traffic accident risk roads through BIM-based design technology - The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, led by President Kim Byung-suk) developed a digital model designed to identify dangerous roads where traffic accidents frequently occur while further finding optimal measures to improve the safety of such roads, thereby minimizing the risk of traffic accidents. The Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, jointly with the country's local government agencies, has been implementing a project titled the "Alignment Improvement Project for Dangerous National and Provincial Roads”to prevent traffic accidents. This project aims to identify roads with a high risk of major traffic accidents and improve structural hazards found on them, preventing future traffic accidents and enhancing their functionalities as well. Under this project, dangerous roads are selected based on a combination of various factors, including their geometry, e.g., how the roads curve and slope, the number of traffic accidents, the amount of traffic, regional characteristics, and investment expenditures. Among them, however, geometry is the most significant factor in the scoring system. Simply put, the geometric structure of roads, which determines their overall shape, is considered among the major causes of traffic accidents. The existing procedure for a feasibility study for the safety improvement of dangerous roads is composed of sequential steps, including traffic accident analysis, dangerous road identification, and improvement measure establishment. Each step is conducted according to the corresponding manual and also in a fragmented manner. Among the steps of this feasibility study, formulating and designing a route plan for a single dangerous road costs about $30,700(40 million Korean won) and takes a period of more than one and a half months. Against this backdrop, a research team led by Dr. Hyounseok Moon at KICT's BIM Research Cluster developed a digital design model to create an optimized linear road model capable of identifying dangerous roads and minimizing the risk of traffic accidents on them. The developed digital design model employs big data to ensure that dangerous roads are identified and selected in an objective manner, unlike the existing method in which the selection process is conducted in a fragmented manner. Furthermore, this model is capable of creating an optimal digital road model that effectively addresses geometric safety issues found in the selected roads and minimizes the risk of traffic accidents on them. The developed digital optimization model for dangerous roads was employed to conduct a feasibility study on a single road. Priority determination based on traffic analysis and assessments, followed by the formulation and design of alternative linear routes, all cost about $23,000(30 million Korean won) and took a period of two to three weeks at the minimum. This means that the developed digital design optimization model for dangerous roads reduces the required cost and period by 30-35% on average. This research outcome was achieved as follows. First, the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS), a traffic accident big data system provided by KoROAD, was analyzed to identify and select dangerous roads, thereby determining the relationship between geometric factors and the occurrence of traffic accidents. In doing so, a total of 37,128 traffic accidents (especially fatal ones) that occurred on the country's national and provincial roads from 2012 to 2020 were analyzed. Among them, 1,138 cases (accounting for 3%) were then selected, which satisfied specific conditions, for example, accidents that occurred on curved roads or inclined roads. From the ones selected above, 77 cases were further selected in which two or more traffic accidents occurred. These 77 traffic accident cases were considered to have occurred on dangerous roads, and an in-depth examination based on topographic-map and road-view analyses was further conducted on four cases among them. The digital model developed by KICT was designed to quickly and easily provide multiple optimal alternatives to the selected road design in the form of a 3D model simply by inputting conditions and entering values for variables. In addition, it can also compare these alternatives in terms of the risk of traffic accidents and the volume of earthwork required, immediately determining whether each of these alternatives satisfies the design requirements. This process allows policymakers to determine which alternative will be the best solution to minimize the risk of traffic accidents. The distinctive advantage of the developed technology is that it integrates the entire process of decision-making, from the identification of dangerous roads to the generation of optimal alternatives using a digital model; that is, maximizing the efficiency of the process via digital transition. Dr. Hyounseok Moon said, “This technology developed by KICT can be applied not only to road alignment improvement projects but also to the rapid, digital design of new, safe roads, and it will be widely used as one of the key technologies by combining various ICT solutions, including big data and AI, thereby ushering into the era of digital transformation in the construction industry.” ###This research was funded by the "Creation of Intelligent Technology-based Alignment Improvement Model for Dangerous Roads and Development of Key Technology for Geometric Verification (2021-2022, jointly conducted by Seoyoung Engineering”project implemented by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement) as a research project for promoting road construction and traffic technology. Regdate 2023/07/27