Spatial Information That Connects Architecture and Cities
▲ Senior Researcher Kim Du-sik, Department of Building Research, KICT
The Current State of Automation in Manufacturing
As children, some of us may have played with a “science kit,” a toy that enabled even elementary school students to make their own radio by following assembly instructions to connect chips or resistors on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with printed electronic circuits and soldering them. Anyone who assembled a radio like this during their school days will understand well how electronic products are made. Electronics are constructed based on pre-designed assembly instructions (drawings), followed by placing components on the PCB (moving materials to target locations) and soldering (construction process).
Today, most of the processes in the electronics manufacturing industry that were previously done manually have been automated. The traditional method of drilling holes in PCBs to connect parts (Insert Mount Technology: IMT) has been replaced by Surface Mount Technology (SMT), which allows parts to function simply by placing them in the desired positions on the board. This innovation reduced defect rates and made automation and mass-production possible, improving productivity and reducing labor costs through the following processes:
①Smart Earthworks: Cream-type solder is printed onto the soldering points of the PCB to automate soldering. ②Smart Logistics: Chips are automatically placed on the designed positions of the PCB transported via a conveyor belt. ③Smart Construction: Once all chips have been placed, the PCB is passed through an oven to automatically solder the entire board. ④Smart Maintenance: An AI-based system inspects for defects by capturing magnified images of each chip’s placement.
This transition to automated processes in the electronics manufacturing industry was widely adopted in the 1980s, and the technology has continued to become more developed, enhancing production quality. Automation was quickly integrated into electronics manufacturing because it was easier to apply machines (robots) working (constructing) according to designs in a standardized environment like a conveyor belt compared to the more complex construction industry. Furthermore, the introduction of automation equipment led to significant labor cost reductions and gains in productivity, contributing to increased sales.
Construction Digital Transformation and Spatial Information
A digital transformation is also actively being pursued in the construction industry, similar to that in the manufacturing industry. However, unlike manufacturing, construction sites are not standardized environments like conveyor belts—they are complex, dynamic spaces, making it technically challenging to replicate the real world in a digital environment. Additionally, due to the process characteristics implemented through 2D drawings, it was difficult to consider environmental factors in connection.
The widespread use of commercial drones in the 2010s and the innovation in mapping technology became an opportunity to model larger areas more quickly than in the past, paving the way for technologies like smart earthworks to be applied to construction sites. Moreover, the integration of spatial information and Building Information Modeling (BIM) provides intuitive experiences and simulation functions that allow architects and engineers to easily consider the surrounding environment. As a result, the use of these technologies is increasing steadily.
As laser scanning technology advances, research is also being conducted on automatic BIM model construction through object classification. It is expected that opportunities to create added value using the related data will increase in the future, with the development of spatial information construction technology for both outdoor and indoor spaces. Beyond topographic data, spatial information is expanding into various fields such as infrastructure, population, environment, and crime prevention, and efforts are underway to develop models for its broader utilization, so attention is needed to develop utilization models based on this.
Trimble, a company that began with GPS surveying and spatial information databases, has pursued its own construction digital transformation through acquisitions of companies with the technology necessary for construction, including 3D design, automation construction, construction management, and maintenance. Although it's hard to generalize from the single example of Trimble, spatial information has high potential to become a core technology that can lead the future construction field due to the following characteristics:
Spatial information can integrate and visualize information in various layers to provide users with intuitive experiences. Securing the accuracy of spatial information and rapid updates are believed to have already reached a level that can be applied to automation technology in the construction field. Analysis and simulation technologies using spatial information can be used as a means to pursue the efficient utilization of given resources in urban operations or transportation logistics.
As for the convergence of big data and AI technologies, which has recently received much attention, technology in the spatial information field has already been developed for several years. Notable points in recent spatial information trends are that attempts are being made to expand from existing 2D data-oriented utilization to 3D analysis and visualization and 4D analysis applying time-series data, developing to integrate BIM and CAD data, and changing to a system that enables collaboration through API linkage with the introduction of web GIS and cloud.
Importance and Role of Spatial Information in Urban Architecture
Due to the extensibility of spatial information, spatial information technology is being used at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) in a range of technical fields. Finally, I would like to suggest potential application areas in which spatial information is expected to contribute to the KICT’s urban architecture research field. In the urban architecture field, the KICT is pursuing research on four major tasks: modular architecture, building safety, improvement of residential and living environments, and sustainable cities.
Whether it’s architecture or civil engineering, preventing construction schedule delays is an important factor that can minimize risks in construction while reducing costs. For modular construction and Off-Site Construction (OSC) methods to be actively implemented, the production and supply of precast members must be smooth. Especially in the transportation of heavy and bulky members, securing production and logistics bases close to construction sites and establishing logistics systems will be aspects to consider for improving productivity in the architectural field in the future.
Due to the aging of society and decreased birth rates, it is expected to be difficult to deploy many construction professionals to construction sites in the future, and the proportion of foreign workers is likely to further increase. It is necessary to introduce digital transformation technologies that can enable remote work or automation of tasks performed by professionals, and to secure a system that can easily and clearly support collaboration with foreign workers. In introducing technology, a strategy is needed to lower the entry barrier for innovative technologies by utilizing widely distributed devices, such as smartphones, to secure mobility.
Considering the global issue of carbon neutrality, spatial information can also contribute to reducing embodied carbon in buildings. Spatial information can be used to model embodied carbon generated throughout the process of materials production, transportation, construction, and disposal, or to manage at the building unit level, and to evaluate the application of green building technology at the district level to pursue sustainable cities.
As the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns begins in earnest and reconstruction projects become active, construction waste is expected to increase rapidly, which could be an opportunity for the introduction of new construction waste recycling policies, such as activating the use of recycled aggregates. If an online market for recycled aggregates is provided as a web-based GIS service to promote the recycling of construction waste, consumers will be able to stably secure recycled materials near construction sites, and waste processors will be able to form a market by activating distribution. Through this, it is expected that applying resource circulation to architecture will be further promoted.
It is hoped that spatial information will contribute to future research in the field of urban architecture at the KICT.
