DAEILTEC

‘2019 보도블록 EXPO' 개막…21일까지 서울광장 등에서 전시

[Green Post Korea Reporter Kim Hyung-soo] The days of putting sidewalk blocks only for comfortable walking are passing. This is because next-generation sidewalk blocks are emerging one after another to reduce the inconvenience they experience every time they walk due to fine dust and summer heat.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold the "2019 sidewalk block EXPO" at Seoul Plaza and Seoul City Hall from the 19th to the 21st. The expo, which was held under the theme of "Dreaming of Innovation in Seoul's Sidewalks," displayed next-generation sidewalks blocks with effects such as reducing fine dust and reducing heat island phenomena.

The expo began in 2013 and marks its sixth anniversary this year. The Expo has played a role in promoting the development of sidewalk block technology by providing a venue for the latest technology exchange related to sidewalk blocks. The expo is designed to allow visitors to see and experience various latest sidewalk block technologies.

At the entrance of the exhibition, where several companies showcase their new product blocks, there is a booth to demonstrate the effect of the "air purification block" operated by Chonnam National University's Catalyst Research Institute. A demonstration event that shows the decrease in nitrogen oxide levels, which are considered one of the main ingredients for ultrafine dust generation, begins every hour. The photocatalyst in the sidewalk block has the function of reacting nitrogen oxide with calcium in cement and sticking it to the sidewalk block. The stronger the sunlight, the greater the effect.

"Nitrogen oxides adsorbed on sidewalk blocks will be washed away by rainwater," said Park Hee-joo, a researcher at Chonnam National University's Catalyst Research Institute. "We are also developing a technology to apply photocatalytic technology to roadways. It takes more time because there are many asphalt pavement, not cement." In addition to Chonnam National University, several companies are introducing blocks that purify the atmosphere using photocatalysts.

A sidewalk block that will help citizens walk on the streets in summer to escape the heat and rainy season also caught the attention of visitors. If you use a pitcher block that drains more water than a basic block, the heat island phenomenon that heats up the city center in summer is less, and the walking environment is pleasant because water holes do not form easily even if it rains. 

"If the permeability is high, the durability may decrease as if you have osteoporosis," said Yoo Hae-hyun, head of Daeil Tech, who introduced the pitching block "Super Block" at the Expo. "Super Block" is made of three layers and is stronger than other products with two layers." 

On one side of the Seoul Plaza where the expo was held, a sidewalk block playground will be operated where you can experience block zenga, block curling, making your own blocks, and rubbing sidewalk blocks. The "Block Packaging Symposium" will be held at 3 p.m. on the 20th at the Seoul City Hall Multipurpose Hall. Experts such as environmental experts, block manufacturers, and research institutes will share their opinions on how to introduce air purification blocks using photocatalysts, a technology to reduce fine dust. Any citizen can attend.

Source: Green Post Korea (http://www.greenpostkorea.co.kr )