Lotte Engineering & Construction said on the 2nd that it applied a rebar hoisting technology that can secure worker safety at tunnel construction sites to the "Sejong–Anseong construction project (Section 3) site."

A view of materials being moved with heavy equipment at a conventional tunnel construction site (left) and a view of materials being moved with a hoisting lift installed on a work trolley at a Lotte Construction tunnel site. /Courtesy of Lotte Construction

Tunnel construction sites are generally relatively dark, have cramped work spaces, and are very noisy, so workers must take extra care when moving heavy materials such as rebar. Previously, when hoisting materials like rebar, heavy equipment such as excavators or cranes lifted the rebar into the air and a worker manually handled the job next to the crane, creating various risk factors such as falls, entrapment, and collisions.

However, introducing the newly developed "hoisting lift" reduces the risk of accidents because workers do not have to work directly next to the rebar. With simple controls, a worker can load rebar onto the lift and transport it automatically or semi-automatically, and the hoisting lift can withstand high loads, which is also advantageous in terms of efficiency. The lift is also equipped with an external protective device that prevents materials from slipping out or falling.

To introduce this hoisting lift in the confined space of a tunnel, Lotte Engineering & Construction chose to install the hoisting lift on a work trolley (an integrated work platform and formwork structure installed during tunnel construction for tasks such as internal waterproofing and rebar assembly). Before installation, a prior structural review was conducted by Lotte Engineering & Construction's Technology Research Institute and an external organization to ensure safe work without structural defects.

Among highway construction projects promoted by the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC), this "Expressway Route 29 Sejong–Anseong construction project (Section 3) site" is the first tunnel site to adopt the method of installing a hoisting lift on such a work trolley.

A Lotte Engineering & Construction official said, "By introducing a hoisting lift in the special, highly constrained space of a tunnel construction site, we are in practice improving efficiency and safety so workers can work safely," and added, "We will continue our research to improve the environment so that workers can work safely."

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