ROBOTICS

Examples of Robotics in Construction

Automation in Japan.
Honda bi-peds
Cyberdyne Robot Suit HAL

Cyberdyne Robot Suit HAL

Hybrid Assistive Limb is a robot to expand & improve physical capability.
When a person moves, nerve signals are sent from the brain from the muscles via motoneurons to move the musculoskeletal system
Sensors on the skin of the user catch the signals.
The unit is design to move unitedly with the user's muscle movement to support daily activities.
HAL could be used to support disabled people, for heavy labour in factories and as rescue support in disaster sites.

Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

Used where access to sites is restricted or operations for humans is time-consuming or dangerous.

What are Construction Robots?

Tele-operated human-machine systems - Remote control dumpers and trench rollers, manual handling robots for cladding
Pre-programmed systems - Concrete eating robots.
Autonomous with on-board sensors - Robot poweefloat & ROMA Climbing Robot for inspection tasks.
Integrated construction automation systems - Automated Building Construction System (ABCS)

Pre-Programmed Systems

Concrete eating robots - break up with concrete with jets of high-pressure water before sucking & capturing the aggregate, cement & water before processing and separating the clean aggregates into bags.

Japan Leading the Way

Despite the economic recession, the largest construction companies in Japan continue to invest heavily in R&D.
Unlike the UK, the majority of research in Japan is undertaken by private research institutes.
The last decade has seen a decline in construction robotics research due to the inability to recover the costs in it's use & to reduce site labour.
Construction automation is still seen as the key to safer, more successful and profitable construction industry.

Increased Productivity

Skilled labour shortages and an ageing workforce have generated the need for increased productivity through the use of human-machine construction systems.

Material Manipulators

Used to aid with placing oversized heavy components in construction (e.g. cladding, ceilings)
Generally guided manually.
Automated guided vehicles have been adapted for use on construction sites to provide transport of components.

Concrete Placing and Finishing

Tele-operated articulated concrete distribution arms improve the quality and safety of concrete placing whilst reducing the number of operatives required.
Provide a more predictable finishing rate & increased productivity.

Radio-Controlled Construction Plant

Enables the operator to control a machine while observing images at a place remote from the immediate work environment.
Advantages: Increases operator safety, improves labour management and increases work efficiency.
Systems have been successfully used for work in close proximity to volcanoes and landslides.
Could be efficient for conducting quarrying, mining and general earth moving procedures.

Humanoid Robots

Japanese started a 5 year humanoid robotics research project in 1998 in response to an increasing demand for them.
An advanced prototype was developed which has endless potential throughout hazardous industries.
Possible Applications in Construction: Plant operation, welding, material handling, disaster recovery, nuclear operations...

Integrated Systems - The Way Forward

Integrated construction automated systems consist of 4 fundamental elements:

A temporary covered working platform and jacking system.
Just-in-Time delivery of structural members and sub-assembled components.
An automated material handling system.
A centralised on-site integrated control centre.

A fully enclosed temporary working platform provides a factory type environment where all the technology operates.
The enclosed working structure provides protection from adverse weather & reduces the impact of the project on the surrounding environment.
The entire platform is constructed on hydraulic jacks.
Once each floor is complete, the platform can be raised to a suitable level for completing the next floor.
Material manipulators automatically orientate and position sub-assemblies & structural members.
A central information management system monitors and coordinates the construction process.
The systems maintains a real-time inventory of drawings, components, scheduling and progress and monitors operations, labour activity, safety and quality standards.

Obayashi Corporation - Automated Building Construction System (ABCS)

Integrates factory automation and construction project operations.
A parallel material delivery system performs the vertical & horizontal transport of structural components from the site delivery area to the construction operation level.
The structural steel roof for the finished structure supports the cranes and material hoists.
On completion of two structural floors, the factor is automatically jacked up.
The control system allows the site manager to review construction progress, revise the programme of work and arrange future delivery of materials without leaving the on-site office facility.
Could reduce the construction schedule for a 30-storey structure by 3 months.
Could reduce the construction schedule for a 40-storey structure by 6 months.

Automation on UK Projects

Limited use of tele-operated construction plant in UK construction.
Meadowside Granary Demolition Project successfully utilised a tele-operated demolition manipulator.

Conclusions

Fully automated construction systems are too technologically sophisticated & expensive for use in an unstructured construction environment.
Tele-operated machinery offers limited productivity but increases operator safety & work quality.
Further development & use of construction automation & robotics is only possible if construction projects are re-engineered to provide a more structured and controlled operating environment.

TOP-DOWN BASEMENT CONSTRUCTION

Stages of Top-Down Construction

Essentially involves casting the ground floor slab as early as possible so the superstructure above can be constructed whilst the basement is excavated below.

Install perimeter walls (e.g. diaphragm wall, contiguous pile or secant wall)
Install bearing piles with columns embedded into low cut-off level concrete.
Excavate & cast B2 slab.
Extend columns & cast second floor slabs.
Cast ground floor slab integral with embedded columns
Excavate and cast B3 slab.
Extend columns & cast upper floor slabs.
Excavate and cast B1 slab
Extend columns and cast first floor slab.

Top-Down Construction Using CEMLOC

CEMLOC system was developed by Skanska.
It is a unique system that is an adaption of the traditional approach which dramatically aids top-down construction.
The system accurately places & holds plunged columns.
CEMLOC is lowered into the casing and aligned with locating dowels.
4 rams at top & bottom of CEMLOC lock it to the casing.
Column is then plunged into the concrete whilst being held accurately & precisely by the CEMLOC.
CEMLOC is then removed after the concrete has set.
Restraint and column projection is removed once the column has set.
Working platform is reinstated.
Grout and backfill is removed later in the process as the basements are constructed.

Case Studies of Top-Down Construction

One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge - housing scheme for the wealthy, four storey basement, saved 6 months on the programme.
The Shard, London - had a top-down core.

Top-Down Construction - London Shard

Raft foundation was constructed over a 36-hour pour of 700 truckloads and 5,500m3 of concrete.
The Shard had already climbed to 21 storeys by the time the foundation was poured.

	Created by d.moran-10 over 10 years ago

Undergraduate Advanced Construction (Summary Notes) Note on Summary - Innovation, Nano Technology & Robotics, created by d.moran-10 on 03/06/2014.