[Courtesy of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology]
SEOUL -- South Korea's state-funded research body has developed a remote unmanned construction technology that can prevent falls at bridge construction sites. The technology allows remote control robots to install girders and construct piers without putting human workers into high-place work.
The bridge superstructure consists of the deck for roadway or walkway surface, concrete or steel supporting structure, and bearing pads that allow the superstructure to move somewhat independently. Girders made of concrete or steel are used as the means of supporting the deck.
The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) said that robots moving on commands transmitted through a remote control system can replace human workers who have manually adjusted the direction and position of girders by pushing and pulling them. Depending on the type of work, tools can be detached or attached to ready-made robot arms.
"As it is difficult to secure skilled workers, remote control robots will be a technical alternative to reduce construction disasters," KICT head Kim Byung-suk said in a statement on October 28, citing the graying of workers in South Korea's construction industry. The institute said that researchers have developed a vibrator for tramping concrete, a gripper for adjusting the location of a pre-made rebar net, and a rebar coupler for connecting rebars.
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