The International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction
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Abstract: Automation and robotic applications for use in the North American construction industry are currently under development at numerous university and industry laboratories. A number of these applications have been tested under simulated or actual jobsite conditions; some have provided enough information to determine technical success or economic feasibility of the ...
Abstract: Within Western Europe we do not have a general approach from manufacturers and users comparable to the approach in Japan. We do have some quite remarkable individual efforts. Furthermore national and multinational organizations have realized the importance of robotics in construction. More structured efforts and stronger market demands might had ...
Abstract: The newest status of robotization in Japanese construction industry is reported based on Construction Industry Institute classification. And the recent result of a questionaire survey for promoting automatization and robotization of construction industry by Ministry of Construction is introduced. Finally the author discusses strong necessity of international co-operation for break-throughing ...
Abstract: Remote controlled operation of construction equipment has been state-of-the-art for some years. The availability of remote controls which have been designed and developed for general use on commercial machines is a recent development that is the subject of this paper. The John Deere teleoperated excavator represents a new capability that ...
Abstract: Because the operation of drilling for tunnel excavation by blasting is performed in a severe work environment and the degree of worker skill shows a declining tendency in recent years, it is becoming difficult to obtain a high degree of precision in drilling and this could become a major problem ...
Abstract: The automation system has been developed based on the purpose of unmanning the operation in shield work through robotization of excavation data collection, automatic surveying and stance controlling. The data collecting section gathers and analyzes various data such as on earth pressure, thrust and speed during excavation performed by the ...
Abstract: This paper describes the application of pipe-tunneling robots for constructing small-bore (1-2m) tunnel conduits for underground power cables. The system makes possible long-distance, curved-conduit tunneling. The development consists of the following basic technology; (1) an automatic positionmeasuring system via gyro car; (2) a self-propelled, semi-shielded machine for long-distance, curved-conduit tunneling; ...
Abstract: Excavation is characterized by the development of unmodelled forces between the bucket and the soil; the surface conditions are generally uncertain, and the development of these forces is only revealed during the very act of disturbing the medium. A human operator typically exerts control to keep such forces within limits ...
Abstract: This paper compares the process similarities between the manufacturing and construction industries and identifies areas for cross fertilization through techniques that have been effectively applied to solving productivity problems. ...
Abstract: This paper reports on the results of a Norwegian-Finish feasibility project on construction robotics, carried out in 1988. The aim of this project was to determine and evaluate the most suitable robotization themes from the point of view of the construction industries in the respective countries. Functional requirements and preliminary ...
Abstract: For rationalizing building construction systems with robots, we organized WASCOR (WASeda Construction Robot) research project at System Science Institute, Waseda University in 1982. The project team is composed of 10 university professors in the field of civil, mechanical, industrial engineering and system science, management and engineers from 9 general contractors ...
Abstract: Recent work in construction automation has proceeded in two directions: the development of automated and robotic equipment, and the identification of construction tasks that are good candidates for automation. Previous task identification studies have focused on total automation using robotic manipulators. However, approaches to automation in manufacturing and success of ...
Abstract: The British construction industry has scarcely begun to consider the application of robotics and advanced automation to the building process. It is both the traditional organization and the culture of the building site which inhibit advanced technological development and its application in the UK. Organizational forms are based on separateness, ...
Abstract: Based on the concept of Robot Oriented Design which was presented at the 5th international symposium on robotics in construction in June 1988, this paper proposes a design analysis for the ROD robot-oriented-design synthesis of structural elements. The structural elements are beam and column including their joining system. A systematic ...
Abstract: The majority of work in the field of construction robotics has focused on the adaptation of existing industrial robots to automate traditional construction processes that use basic material. This paper introduces a new approach, that of construction based on a factory-produced parts-set especially suited to a range of on-site purpose-designed ...
Abstract: Design and construction are highly fragmented for many types of projects in the US construction industry. This vertical and horizontal fragmentation leads to inefficiencies during construction. Knowledge based systems provide a means to partially automate the process of construction input to design and assist in reducing the adverse impact of ...
Abstract: Stud welding is process used in the construction industry to anchor concrete slabs to underlying steel substructures. This is highly repetitive and, thus, a good candidate for automation. A robotic device, the Studmaster, has been developed which will automate stud welding currently done in the construction of industrial buildings. This ...
Abstract: Functional requirements, technical specifications and economical feasibility on masonry robotic theme have been investigated. Two alternatives are discussed: a modular SCARA-based system and a six D.O.F. articulated configuration. Market prices of $310000 and $350000 respectively have been estimated for the systems with a payback period of 6 years with realistic ...
Abstract: On February 24, 1987, the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District awarded an $8.5 million contract to Dillingham-Manson. A Joint Venture for construction of the Iona Outfall-Submarine section. The work to be done under this contract involved the installation of approximately 10,500 ft. of twin 90 inch diameter steel outfall ...
Abstract: This research endeavor focuses on how semi-automated piping construction for process plants may become both technically and economically viable through constructability enhancement. This paper answers the question regarding how field operations need modifying in order to support the automated field effort and thus achieve the overall success objective. The semi-automated ...
Abstract: To increase safety and reduce costs in maintaining buried pipelines, we have been studying various types of robots capable of inspecting and repairing such pipelines from inside, and we have recently succeeded in developing automatic welding robots to reinforce welds from the inside of a steel pipe with a diameter ...
Abstract: More stringent requirement on the integrity of safety-related components in power plants with a view to ensuring the availability of these installations and to rationalizing in-service inspections and repairs have resulted in the continuous and rapidly advancing enhancement of the inspection and repair methods used. This ...
Abstract: This paper discusses the development and implementation of a new ergonomic manual control system for a large construction manipulator. The manipulator consists of a 22 ton rough terrain hydraulic crane with a multifunction manipulator attachment. The combined device gives a single operator hydraulic control over eight independent joint axes allowing ...
Abstract: Knowledge representation and reasoning techniques derived from Artificial Intelligence (AI) research permit computers to generate plans, not merely analyze plans generated by human planners. They explicitly represent knowledge about how generate plans in the form of initial and goal states, descriptions of actions along with their preconditions and effects, and ...
Abstract: Construction schedules exist in many forms to serve many purposes. They are prepared by various means by different individuals either manually or aided by computer software. Work which is underway to automate the production of schedules is now being supplemented by the development of an evaluation package for general usage. ...
Abstract: The paper describes the development of a neural network based method for solving complex construction operational problems. A brief introduction to neural networks is provided. Particular reference is made to the mechanics and properties of the technique and its potential as a management problem solving tool. Following this, the optimal ...
Abstract: Most operations in construction take place at the job site and involve installation and erection of materials. Certain materials, however, are prepared in fixed plant facilities either on or off-site and then moved to the site to be installed or erected. These fixed plant facilities have many similarities to traditional ...
Abstract: The generation of construction schedules is a time consuming task that requires the participation of experienced personnel and is mostly unsupported by todays computer software. The objective of this research effort is to utilize a knowledge based approach to produce better tools for providing added support to the construction scheduler. ...
Abstract: The concept of Computer Integrated Construction (CIC) creates many challenges in developing an integrated system which links vertically and horizontally all the different participants on a construction project. In addition to the sharing of information, CIC provides new opportunities for construction management which include integrated planning and control. Researchers at ...
Abstract: The automation of the excavation process requires consideration not only of the design and operation of the excavator drive and control systems but also of the mechanics of the excavation process itself. The paper therefore discusses the developments necessary in these areas in relation to the operation of a simple ...
Abstract: A project, named ROBAT, of design and realization of an autonomous mobile platform for the building industry, achieving tasks at the end of carcass work, is currently developed within the ECOLE DES MINES DE DOUAI. Generally, it is possible to give a model for third generation mobile robots, which is ...
Abstract: Robotic manipulators and construction equipment come from different traditions that have different objectives. The differences impede use of robotics in construction and use of construction technology in robotics. Robots come from the machine tool tradition where the objective is to hold the position of a tool independent of the forces ...
Abstract: To establish a drawbar-pull control system to obtain a maximum productivity of a flexible tracked vehicle i.e. bulldozer running on a super weak marine sediment, the traffic performance of vehicle could be clarified by the use of a micro-computer in robotics for construction from the initial information of terrain properties ...
Abstract: Construction inspection for quality control and quality assurance is central to ensuring compliance to contract standards and to assuring owners that work has been done right. This is especially true on critical facilities where inadequate performance can have severe consequences, for example, in the construction of earth works to contain ...
Abstract: A diamond sawing and coring technique is a dismantling method developed in the JPDR Decommissioning Program conducted by JAERI. The dismantling system for this technique, consisting of a cylindrical geometric robot equipped with a sawing unit and a coring unit, concrete block/core handling devices and so on, will be applied ...
Abstract: The robot automates the operation painting on exterior walls of high-rise buildings. The robot is designed to ensure safety during work at high elevations, assure the quality of the coating, enhances efficiency and maintain the privacy of guests in the building. At the Shinjuku Center Building (54 above-ground storeys, 220 ...
Abstract: The decommissioning program of the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) has been carried out since 1981 in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in order to develop techniques applicable to future commercial power reactor decommissioning. In this program, a technical development for an underwater plasma arc cutting system has ...
Abstract: The use of remote robotic equipment has proven invaluable in the task of removing the fuel from Germany Public Utilitys damaged Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor. The March 28, 1979 accident at Three Mile Island redistributed an estimated 300,000 pounds of core debris throughout all regions of the reactor ...
Abstract: Logic relationships of activities in a CPM network can be categorized into highly dependent and largely independent. The current available CPM scheduling techniques, however, equally treat the logic relationships and, thus, is considered as one of its major deficiencies. This paper proposes an approach that starts from a preliminary network ...
Abstract: The Canadian construction industry must carefully consider the use of robotics if it is to meet its changing needs. This paper presents an approach for evaluating the implementation of robotics in construction activities. Each activity is considered in terms of strategic, tactical and operating needs. Since these needs may vary ...
Abstract: Robotic construction equipment will need to plan and replan in response to rapidly changing site and external market conditions of a project. A group of researchers at Standford University is conducting research on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to develop enhanced tools for generating plans and schedules automatically ...
Abstract: Many new demands in the construction industry encourage increased automation of design and construction, but realizing the opportunity presents many management challenges. One of the greatest is awareness of potential advantages for the firm. The purpose of this paper is to describe the possible competitive advantages from advanced technologies for ...
Abstract: SightPlan is an expert system that performs construction site layout. The system contains an explicit representation of the strategy it follows to construct a solution. Based on the assumption that the cognitive capabilities of ana agent have an impact on the strategy that agent follows during problem-solving, we decided to ...
Abstract: Discrete event simulation has not yet been accepted by the construction industry as a tool for process, or field level operations, planning. This may be attributed to the fact that its use requires considerable knowledge of both the construction process and simulation technique. To overcome these impediments, a new knowledge-based ...
Abstract: Mobile robots a wide range of tasks await them but what forms can this type of tool make? The design of the robot tools is determined by the most important functions, i.e. transporting in order to move the robot, and handling. Depending on the combination of these components ...
Abstract: The potential for robotic assembly in construction is examined with particular reference to the evaluation of the building design. The broad issues of design for construction assembly are explored and the relation to manufacturing assemblies identified. The paper presents the idea of representing the building design in a generative way ...
Abstract: RTRAK is a mobile, computer based, gamma scanning and radiation mapping system developed by Chem-Nuclear Systems and MK-Ferguson Company for use on the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project. Verification of large land areas contaminated with ...
Abstract: Most of the positioning and navigation systems developed for construction machines have been focused on satisfying 2D navigation requirements. In this paper, a system is proposed for continuous and accurate tracking of a bulldozer or corresponding moving machine. Tracking is based on 3D coordinate determination using a time-of-flight laser range ...
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Abstract: Mobility has been early identified as a key function for future construction robots. It is then essential to develop navigation modules, pilot modules and positioning modules that fit with the constraints of the work site. Concerning the positioning modules (that provides coordinates and orientation of the mobile robot related to ...
Abstract: Robotics application to the execution of construction tasks has been attracting attention in the engineering community since early 1980s, both in Japan and in other highly industrialized nations. First working prototypes of construction robots have been appearing in Japan on a number of construction sites operated by several leading Japanese ...
Abstract: Robotics techniques in operation in the industry or under development in laboratories supply basic functions to carry out many different operations. Some of these techniques are compatible with construction sites operations under reasonable economic constraints, some other are not (too fragile, too costly, ). Obviously, construction site operations are ...
Abstract: The geometric configuration of construction tower cranes - with well defined joints and degrees of freedom - allows to transform them, via robotic technologies, to semi -automatic equipment. We wish to add a fast and accurate navigation option to be used by the operator, mainly for cyclic, routine tasks. We report here on the ...
Abstract: In this paper, we describe the bi-lateral manipulator for construction works, in which the large scale manipulartor with remote operation is needed. Though the experiments, it was verified that the bi-lateral master-slave manipulator enables sensitive ...
Abstract: In this paper, a system which employs robots in the automation of construction work is proposed. Specifically, the methodology of a robotized system design in reinforced concrete work are described. Reinforced concrete work involves various works such as mold and reinforcement assembly, concrete placement, straight finish, and mold demolition. The ...
Abstract: A pavement cutting robot system was constructed on a trial basis to automate pavement cutting when a road is to be cut and recovered. The system consists of the robot itself, the control panel, and a cooling water supply and recovery unit. All the units are electrically power driven and ...
Abstract: An "Automated Consolidation Subsystem" has been developed as part of an effort to establish an integrated structure for mechanization and automation of concrete work of Ohbayashi Corporation. This system consists of performing the necessary vibration consolidation by automatically detecting from outside forms the level of concrete that has been placed. ...
Abstract: This paper describes the characteristics of a newly developed concrete screeding robot and the results of fundamental experiments conducted. There were four principal aims of this development: 1) to improve on screeding working conditions over conventional methods; 2) to increase productivity; 3) to assure the quality of concrete floors; and ...
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Abstract: Future intelligent construction machines must harness considerable knowledge to plan and control autonomous tasks in spite of the fact that they will be limited in their own pre-defined knowledge. This paper first describes the need to discover and formulate a general core of theory and software for such machines so ...
Abstract: The development of machinery becomes successful only with their popular use which is greatly influenced by the rate of operation. This requires workable policy decisions which address the possession and allocation of machines in conformity with various project environments and the nature of the machines. This paper dealt with the ...
Abstract: Construction CAE is a simulation, planning, and scheduling software system that integrates a Computer Aided Design (CAD) system with a relational database management system (RDBMS) and cost control tools. The system takes the CAD three-dimensional model data as input and stores it in the RDBMS. The data is then extracted ...
Abstract: The author points out that the existing simulation systems cannot represent precisely the ill-structured logic in construction operations without if-then representation. He also discusses the methodologies of system simulation which are based on artificial intelligence methods. The author then presents a prototype system developed of the simulation system, and shows ...
Abstract: This paper presents the development of a mobile robot for the autonomous AGV (Automated guided Vehicle) which has no external guiding systems and navigates by vision. We chosen indoor environments for autonomous AGV and the environment was modified according to their structural complexity and artificial landmarks were used to modify ...
Abstract: This paper introduces a new erection system of steel beams and columns by applying robots for building construction. This system is composed of crane, positioning, adjusting, welding, climbing scaffold robot and so forth. Features of this system are shown by the following items. a) Robots for positioning, adjusting ...
Abstract: In order to improve the hand-based finishing works, a wall-surface finishing robot (FR-1) is developed, enabling us to achieve labor-saving. The system as a whole is multifunctional robot, composed basically of a carriage with sucker which can move freely on the concrete-made wall, and of a diagnosis function of wall ...
Abstract: This paper deals with the development of a fully automatic tower interior surface coating robot and results of its application to the spray-coating work at an actual construction site. The coating subjects were the partition walls of reinforced concrete, angular-shaped product silos at a flour mill currently under construction in ...
Abstract: With 67% of Japans total land mass covered by forests, 70% of which comprise steep forest slopes of more than 15 degrees (see fig. 1), the transportation of materials to and from mountain areas is a subject of vital importance. The needs for such transportation range from the supply of ...
Abstract: The Symbolic Unified Project Representation (SUPR) Model was developed to achieve integration of construction information. It provides modular units, and the environment necessary to model project information in a unified manner, thus enabling diverse systems to collaborate and share information. Construction robots are becoming increasingly important construction resources, and their ...
Abstract: This paper describes the implementation of a domain-specific strategic planner for an autonomous excavator, called EXCAVATION PLANEX. As a knowledge-based epert system, the planner is designed to assist in the automation of a power-shovel robotic excavator that performs open-cut excavation. The system has been applied in laboratory simulations independently as ...
Abstract: Modeling of global work environments requires the implementation of techniques capable of explicitly defining and capturing interrelationships amongst the individual components that comprise the system. A construction environment creates particular modeling challenges that are a result of its loosely defined working infrastructure. In a detailed effort to develop a methodology ...
Abstract: We have developed a knowledge base for a CAD system in architecture using an object oriented environment associated to Prolog. The aim of this research was to make the system a true assistant for the architect. The mock-up we have done shows that this approach is possible if the user ...
Abstract: The knowledge acquisition process in traditional knowledge engineering methods has been identified as the bottleneck in the development of expert systems. A system called the Interactive Domain Model (IDM) has been developed to automate the development of diagnostic expert systems. The IDM embodies meta-knowledge about the diagnosis of physical systems, ...