This technology involves creating column members by inserting square pipe modules into irregular column formwork and pouring concrete. For the irregular roof member joints, an internal plate with rebar is embedded, and a lower plate with a protruding end is attached to the exposed surface. The protruding end is then inserted into the square pipe module and secured with a pin, providing a connection structure and method for irregular concrete structures.
While precast irregular concrete structures, which are assembled from factory- or site-produced free-form members, offer high design freedom, they suffer from chronic issues like joint defects. In particular, the irregular underside of roofs and inconsistent column alignment make it difficult to join columns to roofs and predict structural behavior, limiting the ability to ensure structural stability for public use.
This technology features a pair of cylinder members attached to both sides of a square pipe with pin holes, with their end faces shaped to match the irregular surface of the column. After demolding, a pin is inserted from the outside through the cylinder to pass through the square pipe's pin hole and the protruding end's pin insertion hole. The lower plate is welded to the internal plate, and gaps are sealed with caulking. Applicable to curved roof pavilions, exhibition halls, landmarks, and 3D-designed precast buildings, it allows for clear, pin-based rotational connections between irregular surfaces, simplifying structural analysis and on-site assembly.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the development of 3D printing equipment and production technology for irregular components.
This technology features a safety hook device with a pair of opposing, pivoting semi-ring hooks at the ends of tong-like grips, allowing for easy attachment and detachment from scaffolding with a simple squeezing motion. A safety mechanism locks the hooks to prevent accidental opening, while a remote control unit allows for easy release.
While high-altitude workers are required to use safety harnesses and hooks, complex steel structures with intersecting railings and scaffolding often hinder movement, reducing efficiency. Workers frequently have to manually detach and reattach hooks at every support point, creating a safety gap where they are temporarily unsecured.
This technology uses a guide pin on the first handlebar that fits into a slot on the operating body, held in place by an elastic element to prevent the hook from opening. When the control unit presses the protruding piece, the pin shifts into a curved slot, allowing the hook to open. A control rope connected to the handle allows for remote release, while an interlocking insert and receiver prevent the hooks from twisting. Ideal for construction, plant, and shipyard work, this system allows workers to alternate between two hooks, ensuring they remain secured at all times and eliminating fall risks.
This technology is a ceramic tile module consisting of a pair of interlocking tiles. The ceramic tiles, intended for bathroom floors or walls, are impregnated with tetradecane-based phase change material (PCM) to form a primary coating, which is then sequentially encapsulated with a sol-gel coating, an elastic layer, and a flexible metal heat conductor.
Bathrooms, especially those in colder climates or outdoor settings, often experience significant temperature drops, leading to recurring issues with frozen and burst water pipes, leaks, and water supply interruptions. While existing ceramic-coated metal tiles offer good texture and durability, they lack effective heat dissipation and storage. Similarly, multi-layered adhesive panels improve insulation and soundproofing but fall short in energy-saving performance through heat storage.
This technology cools PCM-impregnated tiles to below -15°C to stabilize them, uses a silica sol-gel coating to prevent PCM leakage, and encapsulates the entire tile with an elastic layer and metal heat conductor to enhance thermal conductivity and durability. An elastic buffer on one side absorbs impact, while an insertion member on the protruding body fits into the groove of an adjacent tile, secured by friction and elastic coupling members. Suitable for residential bathrooms, outdoor restrooms in parks or rest areas, and wet areas in zero-energy buildings, these tiles store heat from daily use and release it during the coldest early morning hours, preventing pipe freezing without additional heating.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of micro-phase change material manufacturing technology and heat-generating concrete for heating energy savings.
This technology is a composite concrete material created by mixing heat storage modules—made by vacuum-impregnating phase change materials (PCM) into the micropores of porous lightweight aggregates and applying a double-layer coating—into self-compacting concrete, with synthetic resin geogrids or PCM-filled carbon steel pipes embedded throughout its thickness.
While lightweight concrete is advantageous for its weight, insulation, and soundproofing, its high thermal conductivity between binders and aggregates has limited its insulation performance. Previous methods of mixing PCMs like paraffin wax directly into mortar reduced compressive strength, caused the PCM to leak out upon melting, and resulted in inconsistent heat storage performance depending on the operator's skill.
This technology uses a vacuum process to remove gas and moisture from pores before pressure-filling them with PCM and cooling them to solidify. A primary coating of epoxy and graphite powder prevents leakage, while a secondary coating of silica fume and carbon nanotubes protects the aggregate during pouring. Geogrids and carbon steel pipes are spaced more closely toward the surface, with pipes arranged in a zigzag pattern to provide both reinforcement and heat transfer. Applicable to floors and walls of zero-energy buildings, greenhouses, cold storage facilities, and precast panels in regions with high temperature fluctuations, this method allows for precise heat storage adjustment by varying the module mix ratio, ensuring structural integrity without PCM leakage or indoor temperature instability.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's research on safety and performance evaluation technology for nano-concrete.
This technology features a strip-type steel damper with multiple strips spaced evenly between two mounting plates. Each strip is designed with alternating curved sections of reduced and increased width, where the ends of each strip are wider than the center.
Strip-type steel dampers dissipate energy through strip bending under horizontal loads. Conventional uniform-width strips suffer from concentrated damage at the top and bottom, limiting energy dissipation. While variable-width dampers have been proposed, they struggle to provide the high deformation capacity essential for structural ductility.
This technology uses multiple reduced-section zones that act like hinges to accommodate greater deformation, while expanded-section zones maintain structural strength. A first resistance unit connects top and bottom slits diagonally, and an S-shaped elastic second resistance unit connects overlapping dampers to distribute stress. Ideal for steel braced frames, seismic retrofitting, and public buildings like schools and hospitals, it prevents premature failure and ensures continuous energy absorption during major earthquakes.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Laboratory for 3D Architectural Information and Image Processing Technology.
This technology is a water treatment tank structure and finishing method that forms a thick first metal spray layer on the inner concrete wall using arc spraying, followed by a thin second metal spray layer using a mixture of metal powder and Teflon-based resin powder.
Water purification and sewage treatment plants are increasingly using ozone treatment, which is 5–6 times more powerful than chlorine, to remove tastes, odors, and organic matter. However, conventional paints or ozone-resistant coatings applied to tank walls are easily corroded and peeled off by ozone's strong oxidizing power, causing maintenance and hygiene issues. Alternatives like attaching stainless steel plates with anchors and grout are very expensive, and existing spray technologies have lacked methods to ensure adhesion between concrete and metal coatings.
This technology involves sandblasting the inner concrete wall, strengthening the surface with a silicate-based penetrant, and creating micro-textures with a roughening agent to enhance the mechanical adhesion of the metal spray. Finally, the surface is smoothed with a Teflon-based resin sealant. Spray metals can include stainless steel, zinc, aluminum, zinc-aluminum alloys, or bronze. Applicable to ozone contact tanks in advanced water treatment plants, sewage/wastewater treatment tanks, and concrete structures in corrosive environments like bridges, it provides an ozone-resistant metal finish that is much more affordable and easier to install than stainless steel plate lining.
This invention was developed with technical support from the Ministry of Environment for metal spray lining to improve the durability of concrete structures in water treatment facilities.
This technology is a control system and method for remotely operated excavators. It equips the excavator's body, boom, arm, and attachment with inertial sensors, compares the expected posture estimated from remote control signals with the actual posture measured by the sensors, and automatically stops the excavator if the difference exceeds a permissible threshold.
While remote operation allows excavators to work in hazardous areas inaccessible to humans, the process—from operator input and signal transmission to machine movement and status feedback—involves significant latency. Due to this delay, operators often fail to detect overloads in time, such as when a bucket hits an unexpected obstacle, leading to malfunctions or equipment damage.
This technology calculates the expected posture by adding the commanded posture change to the current posture stored in memory. An overload detection unit monitors the difference from the actual posture and immediately cuts off drive signals if the threshold is exceeded, updating the current posture to the actual one for subsequent commands. The system adjusts the threshold based on reaction forces measured by attachment pressure sensors or increases it based on the frequency of overloads to reduce unnecessary stops during work on hard ground. It also transmits overload signals and actual posture data back to the control unit. Applicable to disaster debris removal, demolition of unstable structures, and unmanned excavation in hazardous environments like nuclear plants or mines, it enables equipment to detect and stop at abnormal loads locally despite communication delays, preventing damage to hydraulic systems and work tools.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy through a joint Korea-US research project on next-generation core robot technologies for disaster rescue and humanitarian aid.
This technology is an embedded monitoring system for composite ground, such as embankments or road subgrades. It uses two opposing embedded frames fixed by spacing supports. One frame’s transducer transmits compression and shear waves, which are received by the transducer on the opposite frame, allowing an analysis device to determine ground characteristics based on wave velocity.
Conventional ground surveys, such as borehole or probe penetration methods, often yield uncertain results due to soil disturbance during excavation. Ring-type probes struggle with accuracy in stiff clay as soil tends to clump inside. Surface non-destructive testing is costly and requires skilled personnel. Furthermore, composite ground—where conditions change over time due to natural consolidation and heavy equipment loads—has been difficult to monitor continuously because measurements vary at each point in time.
This technology installs multiple shear wave transmitting transducers at 0°, 45°, and 90° angles along the frame's spacing axis to identify ground anisotropy through directional shear wave velocity. Transmitting and receiving transducers are placed in parallel, and embedded ribs are added to the frame edges to stabilize signal paths. A TDR probe for measuring relative permittivity is installed on the top of the frame, while electrical resistivity electrodes and temperature sensors are exposed on the opposite side to track moisture levels. Applicable to road and railway embankments, landfills, coastal reclamation sites, and large structural foundations, this system allows for long-term, continuous, and undisturbed recording of changes in ground stiffness and moisture resulting from post-construction consolidation and traffic loads.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Hyper-convergence Construction Forensic Research Center.
This technology is a road-based energy harvesting device consisting of a top plate that moves downward under vehicle load, a coil unit wrapped in wire, a core unit that rotates clockwise or counter-clockwise through a through-hole in the coil unit depending on the load, and a magnet unit in contact with the core. Each rotation of the core induces current in the coil by reversing its magnetization.
The force exerted on road surfaces by moving vehicles is largely wasted energy. While electromagnetic induction harvesting devices have been researched to convert this into electricity, conventional methods involving reciprocating magnets within coils have faced limitations in increasing power generation efficiency, as the coil winding length is constrained by the required displacement of the magnets.
This technology connects the first and second pillars extending downward from the top plate with a cylindrical connector. This connector fits into a ring-shaped coupling at the end of the core, converting vertical motion into rotational motion, while protrusions on the connector's outer surface prevent the core from sliding longitudinally. The magnet unit, composed of four permanent magnets, is arranged so that opposite poles contact both ends of the core during clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation, causing a significant reversal of magnetic flux with each load cycle. Applicable to highway toll booths, entry ramps, intersection stop lines, and speed bumps at parking entrances, it allows for on-site power generation for road lighting or traffic sensors simply through the pressure of passing vehicles.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of energy harvesting materials and modules for independent power sources in smart sensors.
This technology features a sensor mounted inside the toilet seat that emits sound or ultrasonic waves vertically to measure the volume of waste. A central server receives this data wirelessly, calculates the appropriate amount of flush water, and sends the command back to the toilet, which then adjusts its water pressure control unit to release only the necessary amount of water.
Toilets account for 30–40% of household water usage, but conventional models waste water by flushing the entire tank regardless of whether the waste is solid or liquid. Conversely, in high-density housing like apartments, simultaneous usage can cause water pressure drops, requiring multiple flushes to clear waste, which paradoxically increases water consumption.
This system uses a pressurized tank equipped with a pressure sensor and an air intake unit; if internal pressure drops below a threshold, it draws in external air to maintain flushing pressure. Solenoid valves on the supply and water lines open for precise durations based on server signals to control discharge. A neural processing unit in the central server uses deep learning to analyze waste volume data from multiple toilets, building a database for optimized flushing. Pressing a urine-specific switch disables the sensor and automates water replenishment via a level sensor. Ideal for apartment bathrooms, highway rest stops, public restrooms, and large commercial facilities, this system ensures water efficiency while preventing clogs and redundant flushing caused by low pressure.
This technology features a digital door lock with a main body containing a keypad and a handle with a built-in storage compartment. When a specific code is entered into the keypad, an ejection unit triggers, pushing the self-defense device out of the compartment.
Home invasion crimes targeting people living alone as they enter their homes are on the rise. However, portable self-defense tools are often difficult to carry at all times, making them unavailable when needed most. Existing door locks that send an emergency signal when a distress code is entered still have a delay before help arrives, failing to prevent physical harm from impulsive violence or threats by intruders during that critical window.
This technology uses a locking member placed between a compression spring and the self-defense device within the storage compartment. A rotating latch member holds the locking member in place until an actuator rotates the latch, allowing the spring's force to push the device out. A magnet on the device attracts the locking member to keep it secure, and the same input triggers a speaker to sound an alarm. Ideal for studio apartments, officetels, women's safety housing, and residential building entrances, it allows users to discreetly access a self-defense tool and sound an alarm by simply entering an emergency code.
This technology features curved steel fibers designed with a consistent curvature and radius from end to end, incorporating a hollow, through-hole interior space connecting both ends.
While ultra-high-strength cement-based composites can improve tensile performance using steel fibers, conventional straight fibers used for standard concrete often break or pull out, failing to provide effective reinforcement. Fibers with localized deformations, such as bent ends, also suffer from stress concentration at the bends, leading to fiber rupture or damage to the surrounding concrete.
This technology maintains a constant curvature of 0.02–0.10 mm⁻¹ and a radius of 10–50 mm to prevent localized stress under tensile loads, while through-holes on the outer surface enhance bonding with the cement matrix. Multiple fibers can be connected in series using beeswax or paraffin wax (melting point 60–80°C) to form spring-like modules. Applicable to UHPFRC members, impact/blast-resistant structures, and high-strength precast beams and slabs, it increases tensile deformation capacity and energy absorption without fiber rupture or pull-out.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of ultra-high-strength, ultra-high-toughness cement composites and micromechanics-based analysis technology considering strain rate effects.
This technology is a building corner joint structure that places an anti-collision member at the corner where two precast concrete curtain walls meet at a right angle, connecting this member to each curtain wall with steel rods to allow out-of-plane movement while restricting in-plane movement.
Previously, curtain walls meeting at right angles at building corners were installed with only a gap and no separate device. During an earthquake, curtain walls perpendicular to the seismic motion moved out-of-plane, while parallel ones moved in-plane, leading to collisions, damage, or falling debris that posed safety risks. Widening the gap to the maximum allowable inter-story displacement to avoid this resulted in poor aesthetics and issues with waterproofing and insulation.
This technology uses steel rods designed with lower flexural rigidity compared to axial rigidity, allowing them to bend under external force so that curtain walls move only out-of-plane while longitudinal displacement is restricted. A second steel rod or joint can be placed on the opposite side of the anti-collision member to restrict the in-plane displacement of the other curtain wall, with curtain walls connected to the structure via tie-back connections as before. Applicable to high-rise office buildings with precast concrete exteriors, seismic-resistant residential complexes, and factory-assembled panel buildings, it maintains narrow corner gaps to preserve aesthetics and performance while reducing collision-related falling hazards.
This technology is a Concrete Filled Tube (CFT) featuring a square metal pipe filled with PCM concrete, which is made from fine aggregate impregnated with Phase Change Material (PCM). The interior of the metal pipe includes multiple protruding shear plates along its length, along with reinforcing steel bars that pass through the pipe. The fine aggregate is vacuum-impregnated and then coated with a silica layer using a sol-gel process to prevent PCM leakage.
Construction materials using PCM offer excellent thermal storage and heat dissipation, helping to reduce heating and cooling energy. However, simply mixing PCM into cement often leads to stability issues, as the volume changes during phase transitions cause the concrete to repeatedly expand and contract. Previous methods, such as filling lightweight aggregate with PCM and applying a double coating, struggled with inconsistent shapes, complex structures, and poor heat transfer to the core of large concrete members, limiting their ability to respond effectively to temperature changes.
This technology involves drying fine aggregate at 105°C for 24 hours, vacuum-impregnating it with PCM for 4 hours, and coating it with a sol-gel solution—a mixture of ethyl silicate, ethanol, distilled water, hydrochloric acid, and ammonia water at specific molar ratios and temperatures—to prevent PCM leakage. Shear plates with vertical and diagonal sections are positioned toward the corners to enhance shear strength, while reinforcing bars with surface-protruding support members facilitate heat exchange between the concrete core and the outside air. Waste concrete powder can also be used as a cement raw material. Applicable to high-rise CFT columns, energy-efficient apartment frames, and low-carbon eco-friendly structures, this design allows the structural members themselves to act as thermal storage bodies that absorb indoor temperature fluctuations while maintaining flexural strength without cracking from PCM volume changes.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of low-heat cement manufacturing and utilization technology that replaces more than 5 wt.% of limestone using non-carbonate raw materials.
This technology is an auto-restoring spring damper that absorbs external forces through elastic deformation. It features a hollow cylinder with fixed plates at both ends, where first and second moving plates on two shafts slide. Urethane blocks are placed between the moving plates, and coil springs are positioned between each moving plate and the fixed plate. Superelastic shape-memory steel rods are attached around the coil springs, extending either in tandem with or independently of the springs to reduce external forces.
Conventional seismic dampers using friction plates and shape-memory rods for earthquakes and typhoons were difficult to adjust once assembled without complete disassembly. Because they partially relied on dissipating vibration energy as frictional heat, achieving full restoration was challenging, and repairing or reinforcing deformed components was often difficult.
This technology features multiple detachable shape-memory steel rods arranged symmetrically around the coil springs. One end of each rod is fixed to a plate, while the other passes through a sleeve on the moving plate to be secured. The rods slide within the sleeves to prevent buckling during compression, and the coil springs can also be made of superelastic shape-memory alloy. Applicable to seismic isolation for steel buildings, bridge bearings, and plant equipment, the system ensures smooth restoration to its original length. Damping force can be adjusted without disassembly simply by changing the number of rods.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Education for the verification and evaluation of the seismic performance of frame structures using friction-type auto-restoring dampers.
