Hyundai E&C conducts a dust-suppression demonstration using a water-spraying drone at the Gwacheon Jugong complexes 8 and 9 reconstruction project site. [Hyundai E&C]
Hyundai E&C conducts a dust-suppression demonstration using a water-spraying drone at the Gwacheon Jugong complexes 8 and 9 reconstruction project site. [Hyundai E&C]

Hyundai Engineering & Construction said Tuesday it plans to expand the use of unmanned robots at construction sites to strengthen environmental and safety management.

The company recently completed a pilot demonstration of water-spraying drones for airborne dust suppression at the Gwacheon Jugong complexes 8 and 9 reconstruction project site. The trial comprehensively assessed the drones' performance, flight stability and operational coordination on site.

Demolition sites require simultaneous management of airborne dust and worker safety. While dust suppression is an essential environmental control measure, the work itself carries hazards including slipping, electric shock and collisions with heavy equipment.

Safety concerns are particularly acute on upper floors and in structurally unstable sections where access for workers and machinery is restricted. Inadequate water coverage in such areas has long limited the effectiveness of dust control.

In the demonstration, Hyundai E&C deployed water-spraying drones over dust-generating zones, dispersing 50 liters of water per minute across a radius of up to 12 to 15 meters under calm wind conditions. The drones were connected directly to power cables and water hoses, eliminating constraints on flight time and water supply and allowing real-time adjustment of spray position and coverage to track shifting dust sources as construction progressed. The company expects the approach to significantly improve dust suppression effectiveness, safety and operational efficiency compared with conventional methods using water trucks or fixed dust-reduction equipment.

"This demonstration confirmed the viability of water-spraying drones at demolition sites, and we plan to apply them across a wider range of sites and demolition processes going forward," a company official said. "We are actively introducing and piloting a range of smart construction technologies at our sites — including exoskeleton robots, material-transport robots and cleaning robots — and will continue leading the way in building a safe and sustainable construction environment."

Meanwhile, Hyundai E&C's preliminary consolidated earnings for the first half of this year showed sales of 13.12 trillion won ($9.15 billion) and operating profit of 442.7 billion won. New orders totaled 22.82 trillion won, driven by large-scale overseas projects and competitively positioned products.


lucky@heraldcorp.com