SNU Professor Thomas Kang Signs License for Smart-Post Tension Construction with EVEHX

 

- Receives royalties from the top post-tensioners in Central and South America

• SNU Professor Thomas Kang of the Architectural Engineering Department

 
SNU College of Engineering (Dean Kookheon Char) announced on  March 3 that Professor Thomas Kang of the Department of Architectural Engineering has signed a global licensing agreement with EVEHX, a post-tensioning company.
 
EVEHX, the top Latin American company in post-tension, with its base located in Brazil and a North American branch in the U.S. shows highly successful business activities in countries like Australia, Denmark/Europe, Egypt/Middle East and India/South Asia.
 
The technology transfer agreement includes all sales of EVEHX, its affiliates and global partners, including related equipment, construction, services and software to which the technology applies. To protect the domestic industry, however, Korea was excluded from the license.
 
Post-tensioning structure is a technique used when the number of inner columns is limited, the distance between columns is distant, or when challenging structures, such as a thin, flat-panel buildings or observatories that stretch out from canyons, are needed in construction. Nearly 100% post-tensioning techniques are applied to the construction of long-range bridges, cable-stayed bridges and nuclear power plant hangars.
 
"The advantages of post-tensioning structures have been highlighted in the late 20th century and demand has been increasing exponentially," said Professor Kang. "However, we proposed smart post-tensioning techniques to overcome the limitations of the existing method of controlling the power of pulling each cable," he added, explaining the motive behind the technological development.
 
The smart post-tensioning technique developed by Professor Kang is a construction technique that reduces unnecessary processes and maximizes efficiency by applying advanced technologies from the fourth industrial revolution to post-tensioning techniques. While maximizing its economic feasibility, it has been evaluated to have improved its credibility by accurately measuring and managing its functions. In addition, at times like these where legal disputes are more than common, the fact that it is possible to clearly disclose its responsibility for construction defects is another one of its big advantages.
 
The technology was selected within the "100 Future Technologies" by the National Academy of Engineering in 2018, and is already being applied to actual construction in Korea. Professor Kang co-owned the related know-how with the newly-established small/medium-sized firm Total PS Co.,Ltd and is applying for patents in not just Korea, but other regions like the U.S., Europe, China, India, Brazil, Australia, UAE, Mexico and Canada.
 
"This contract is meaningful in that we have expanded our technology to Latin America and the Australian continent," said Dead Kookheon Char of SNU. "In the future, along with Professor Kang, other engineering professors of SNU will further create a more solid foundation for convergence research to develop more advanced convergence technologies," he added.