Introducing virtual reality (VR) to its working practices, Korean architectural services company POSCO A&C is pushing the boundaries in the construction sector, which McKinsey calls one of the least digitized industries globally.

On a recent project at the Gwangyang Steelworks furnace site in South Korea, the firm used VR to train truck drivers. “The huge trucks that we use to transport steel products and hot melted steel on our premises are not easy to maneuver especially around bends,” said Byun Sungjin, senior manager of plant construction management at POSCO A&C. “We found that we were able to virtually drive safely on the roads within our plants at a speed limit of 40km/h.”

This new approach is achieved thanks to POSCO A&C’s Smart Construction Management (CM) Platform, a collaborative, digital system used for practical construction tasks including 3D modeling, simulation, VR capabilities, and design changes.

 “Construction business management through Smart CM Platform, which is based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, has significantly reduced construction period and amount of manpower. This has led to increases in productivity, quality and construction safety. We are now able to simulate and tackle qualitative effects such as timely project completion,” said Lim Seokgon, head of plant construction management at POSCO A&C.

And POSCO A&C’s commitment to innovation doesn’t stop here. “When designing before construction, we hope to use virtual construction in 4D, connect it with a smart tracking system to manage the process, and create various electronic manuals to become a partner in the construction industry that helps the client achieve innovative operational production,” said Seokgon.

Watch the video below and read the full customer story to learn more about why POSCO A&C chose the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as the foundation of its Smart CM solution.