Automatic Extension Robot for Slurry Transport Pipes

In promoting effective utilization of underground space now attracting attention, the shield method has gained greater significance, and construction of the tunnel is expected to speed up, because the services of the underground facilities are required to start earlier than before. On the other hand, one of the problems in the entire Japanese construction industry has been aging of workers and shortage of skilled labor, which has created greater demand for labor-saving construction methods.With the above conditions in the background, Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd. has been developing the methods which will speed up the work steps of the shield method and facilitate its automatization. As part of such effort, we have developed an automatic extension robot for slurry transport pipes used in a facility transporting excavated soil and fluid in construction work by the slurry shield method. This report introduces the configuration of the robot, its functions, and one of its application examples in a large-bore (of a diameter of 10m) slurry shield.