Introduction
Department of Structural Engineering Research Research
(The Department of Structural Engineering Research) is dedicated to the research and development of national infrastructures that are safer, more economical, and designed to enhance the well-being of the public.
This department is equipped with specialized research personnel, a network of domestic and international experts, and state-of-the-art research equipment and facilities to lead global competitiveness in the construction industry. In addition to developing infrastructure construction technologies that cover the entire spectrum of design, construction, and maintenance to ensure public safety, the department is actively responding to various changes in the domestic and international construction environment and future needs by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as the development and application of new construction materials (Cementless materials, Carbon Capture and Utilization, Composite materials, Ultra High Performance Concrete), structural construction technologies incorporating innovative technologies (Hyper-Tube, Robotics and Remote Sensing, Urban Air Mobility, Small Modular Reactor, 3D-Printing, Floating Structures), and smart maintenance technologies (Sensing, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Synthetic Aperture Radar, and Digital-Twins), and technologies addressing global environmental crises (Find-dust, Carbon neutrality, and Green-energy). The Department of Structural Engineering Research will continue to lead the way in infrastructure construction across the entire life-cycle ‘from design and construction to maintenance’ in order to respond to diverse environmental demands and changes in domestic and international policies, including those associated with the “New Normal.”
Major Research Areas & Initiatives
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Enhancing Infrastructure Safety
- Research on construction and maintenance technologies for diverse infrastructures, including bridges, railways, industrial plants, offshore/port facilities, and nuclear power plants.
- Convergence research on Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), measurement, control, and data informatics.
- Development of Big Data frameworks, AI-driven analysis, and operational technologies for structural maintenance.
- Performance evaluation, life expectancy prediction, and operation of Life-Cycle Management systems for aging structures.
- Research on high-efficiency, cost-effective repair and reinforcement technologies to extend the service life of structures(Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Aperture Radar, and Digital-Twins, etc.).
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Resilient Infrastructure for Disaster and Hazard Response
- Risk assessment and safety research on infrastructure against earthquakes, extreme weather events, and structural collapses.
- Research on technologies for the collection, storage, analysis, and utilization of safety-related information.
- Development of construction and maintenance technologies for specialized structures, including blast-resistant facilities, Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) protection, and high-pressure gas storage.
- Reliability enhancement research for infrastructure components, such as dampers, bearings, and expansion joints.
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Securing Sustainable Living Environments
- Structural research supporting green energy (tidal, wind, Small Modular Reactors (SMR), hydrogen, piezo-electricity) and resource development in extreme environments.
- Research on decommissioning and dismantling technologies for infrastructure, including nuclear power plants and aging or marginalized facilities.
- Studies on mitigating environmental impacts (heavy vehicle loads, air pollution, fine dust, noise, vibration) and addressing climate change (global warming, carbon neutrality).
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Next-generation construction
- Research on the development and application of advanced construction materials, such as Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), composite materials, and Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC), and resource recycling (cementless materials, construction waste).
- Convergence research on special-purpose infrastructure, such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Hypertube, and floating structures.
- Development of digital infrastructure design and automated construction technologies, including robotics, remote operations, and 3D-printing.
- Research on advanced maintenance technologies utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and Digital Twins.
