Building with a satellite navigation system

Lotte World Tower, currently under construction in Seoul, South Korea, will become the country’s first building to use Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology. GNSS was previously used to build the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and One World Trade Centre in New York.

GNSS is a satellite navigation system that provides three-dimensional positioning of any object on earth.  In tall buildings, GNSS can be used to measure the impact of lateral forces.

For Lotte World Tower, measurements observed by at least four satellites and seven inclinometers (which show how much a building tilts) will be monitored.

Based on these measurements, the Korean tower will be constructed with the highest accuracy possible, reflecting the movement of the building, says Lotte Engineering & Construction Co.

According to Professor Park Hong-Ki of Gachon University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, the new technology serves dual purpose. Firstly, it allows the builders to manage the building’s straightness. Secondly, it also allows the builders to shorten their construction period.

Moreover, it enables stable maintenance and management of the building through steady long-term monitoring.