Robots and automated systems for the civil and construction industries

Coping with the increasing shortage of skilled labour, the demands for higher productivity and quality and the inroads of external competition provides a sufficient argument for an increased level of automation in the civil and construction industry. Elsewhere in manufacturing, automation has been brought about by the adoption of more general purpose machines and robots to replace dedicated, and less flexible, items of equipment. By linking such items together through the use of local area networks and factory wide systems the control of product flow and the rescheduling of work to meet demand has been significantly enhanced. Also a mechatronic approach to the design of integrated systems (combining electronic and mechanical engineering and computer technology) provides a further influence upon the design and adoption of automated systems. While the environment of a civil engineering site is a far more unstructured environment than that of a factory, requiring greater flexibility and adaptability from the equipment deployed, the range of opportunities for the deployment of automated systems is nevertheless significant. Therefore this paper considers the requirements for introducing robotic systems within the civil and construction industries and examines the possibility of introducing a particular item of automated plant, namely a robotic excavator. Site requirements are also considered in relation to the introduction of a range of automation and robotic technologies.     

Automated planning support for on-site construction inspection

Construction inspectors need inspection planning assistance to specify goals for inspection and to develop and search among feasible inspection plans that inspectors can implement to address these inspection goals on construction sites. This paper presents the details of an automated planning approach to support on-site construction inspections and thereby permit inspectors to both generate complete, detailed inspection plans and to consider numerous possible alternatives in detail. The approach consists of representations and reasoning mechanisms to develop inspection goals and plans, and to support consideration of multiple possible inspection plans. In particular, the approach consists of a series of matching processes, facilitated by faceted classification reasoning, and a generative method-based approach to inspection planning that features a measurement distribution concept to permit various approaches for distributing measurements throughout components. The authors present an object-oriented prototype to illustrate and demonstrate this approach, together with detailed validation discussions that utilize inspection scenarios documented in construction inspection literature to demonstrate the generality and applicability of the developed approach.     

Development of conceptual model of construction factory for automated construction

The building construction industry has adapted well to the need to overcome traditional problems of safety, productivity, and quality on construction sites. Advanced technologies and systems developed outside the building industry are also being introduced to meet the new demands of today's challenges. In particular, the high-tech robots used in the erection of structural steel frames in high-rise buildings in order not to expose human workers to unsafe conditions. In addition, an automated construction system based on improved bolting robots has been developed in Korea. However, the harsh environment of construction sites adversely affects the various sensitive machines, sensors, and devices that comprise the robot construction systems. To minimize the effects of the adverse environment on robot performance, it is believed that a Construction Factory (CF) is required. This is a special workspace providing a stable and favourable work environment for the construction robot. In this study, we developed several CF alternatives for the realization of more desirable automated construction environment, and evaluated them from the aspects of wind speed and air temperature using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. The results showed that a CF with a closed roof and bottom was the best CF option for robot construction, and it can be helpful to reduce the potential cost overruns and time delays for CF construction.     

Role of simulation in construction management

Key applications are identified by the authors which include decision support systems for managing real life construction firms and projects as well as tools and devices for teaching theoretical concepts in construction management, training and team building.     

Three methods for verifying and validating the simulation of a construction operation

A simulation model must be verified to confirm that it describes correctly its intended real world process under study; moreover, the simulation results obtained must be a valid representation of the process. This study presents three activity-based white-box methods for assisting a user in verifying and validating construction simulations. The first method reports a simulation by listing all activities in the chronological order of their executions, so that a user can contrast the simulated progress against the actual progress in the real world. The second method summarizes the operating counts and mean durations of all activities over the simulated time period, to enable a user to evaluate whether all activities have been executed correctly during simulation. The third method generates an activity cycle report for any selected resource entity, so that a user can examine whether the entity is moving in the correct logical and chronological order during simulation. The three methods can be used jointly to debug a simulation model, so as to confirm that the simulation is correctly conducted and the obtained results are valid. The three methods are implemented in a simulation system in the form of corresponding reports. A concreting process is employed to illustrate these methods.     

山区拱桥缆索吊装施工模拟仿真设计分析

以宁德市寿宁县坪坑大桥拱桥缆索吊装施工过程监控为例,基于现场实测数据,利用桥梁分析软件Midas对施工过程监控进行仿真分析,重点探讨拱圈拱箱节段吊装合龙、桥面铺装完成及徐变10年后的计算分析结果,得出施工预拱度的合理建议值及正常使用极限状态的计算结论,成果将为保证拱桥成桥线形提供理论依据及更好地指导后续施工。     

Planning linear construction projects: automated method for the generation of earthwork activities

Earthworks planning for road construction projects is a complex operation and the planning rules used are usually intuitive and not well defined. An approach to automate the earthworks planning process is described and the basic techniques that are used are outlined. A computer-based system has been developed, initially to help planners use existing techniques more efficiently. With their input, the system has been extended to incorporate a knowledge base and a simulation of the earthworks processes. As well as creating activity sets in a much shorter time, the system has shown that for a real project, the model is able to generate activity sets that are comparable to those generated by a project planner.     

索网穹顶静动力分析及施工模拟

索网穹顶系国内首次采用新型结构形式,体系较为复杂,静动力分析及施工过程动态模拟显得特别重要。基于非线性有限元分析方法,本文对结构主次索网的协同工作性能进行了分析,并对动力性能做了深入探讨。鉴于索网穹顶结构施工成型的难点,运用ANSYS软件跟踪模拟分析施工过程中结构的响应,对类似结构的工程施工设计具有一定的参考价值。     

军用工程机械工作装置微机控制技术

未来高科技战争条件下的工程保障对军用工程机械的性能、作业效率要求越来越高,而随着当今科学技术的发展,特别是现代控制理论、液压比例及伺服技术、计算机控制技术的飞速发展,军用工程机械实现微机自动控制,将是提高共性能的必由之路。本文力图从军用工程机械工作装置的微机控制技术人手,阐明军用工程机械工作装置实现微机控制的可行性,作一些理论上的探讨,并简单地引入了一个实例。     

E-commerce system simulation for construction and demolition waste exchange

This article introduces a quantitative approach to e-commerce system evaluation based on the theory of process simulation. The general concept of e-commerce system simulation is presented based on the considerations of some limitations in e-commerce system development such as the huge amount of initial investments of time and money, and the long period from business planning to system development, then to system test and operation, and finally to exact return; in other words, currently used system analysis and development method cannot tell investors about some keen attentions such as how good their e-commerce system could be, how many investment repayments they could have, and which area they should improve regarding the initial business plan. In order to exam the value and its potential effects of an e-commerce business plan, it is necessary to use a quantitative evaluation approach and the authors of this article believe that process simulation is an appropriate option. The overall objective of this article is to apply the theory of process simulation to e-commerce system evaluation, and the authors will achieve this though an experimental study on a business plan for online construction and demolition waste exchange. The methodologies adopted in this article include literature review, system analysis and development, simulation modelling and analysis, and case study. The results from this article include the concept of e-commerce system simulation, a comprehensive review of simulation methods adopted in e-commerce system evaluation, and a real case study of applying simulation to e-commerce system evaluation. Furthermore, the authors hope that the adoption and implementation of the process simulation approach can effectively support business decision-making, and improve the efficiency of e-commerce systems.     

Assessment of construction processes and innovations through simulation

The objectives of this research are to represent construction activities accurately, and to provide a means for assessing the impacts from using innovations. The research approach is the detailed characterization of construction processes, and the development of system and material specific dynamic process simulation models. The ongoing research program is developing a set of specific models, based on extensive empirical data, to enable the accurate modelling of all of the construction processes for a complete facility construction project. A specific process model, glass/metal curtainwall erection, demonstrates the approach, with an analysis of the impacts from a related innovation.     

Modeling and simulation of construction operations

This paper starts with a brief introduction to simulation, and a historical review of its applications. The introduction is followed by a review of simulation applications in construction. The technology of object-oriented modeling and programming and its application to construction applications is discussed along with enhancements to simulation modeling and analysis such as animation and visual programming.     

人文精神的建筑语言表达研究

本文通过对福清文化会议中心和华侨博物馆的方案设计的概括和分析，阐述如何利用现代建筑语言在公共建筑设计上表达复杂的人文精神。     

The influence of simulation time-resolution on the matching between on-site micro-wind generation and building electric demand

This paper is to investigate the unique impact of simulation time-resolutions on energy matching between on-site micro-wind turbine and household electric demand. The focused indices are on-site electrical energy fraction (OEFe), on-site electrical energy matching (OEMe), and their errors (e_OEF and e_OEM). The methodology consists of parametric analyses with respect to time-resolution levels, averaging methods, demand profiles, turbine capacities, and wind conditions. Two averaging methods are used: ‘Speed Averaging’ and ‘Power Averaging’. With a coarser resolution, two averaging effects have been found. One is an overestimation effect by both the averaging methods, which are more likely to be encountered especially when a high-resolution generation curve frequently crosses intermittent long spikes of a demand curve. The other effect is an underestimation effect on OEFe simultaneously occurring with the Speed Averaging Method under the conditions of (1) a low wind speed and (2) a high unstable wind speed and a low turbine capacity.     

投标施工组织设计编制的经验谈

当前,项目投标已是施工企业日常承揽工程的重要途径,投标施工组织设计作为技术标,日显重要。同时,由于很多施工企业对投标施工组织设计的作用认识不足,不够重视,为中标而中标;因此在投标施工组织设计编制方面存在较多问题。本文主要结合笔者多年的工作实践及借鉴相关文献资料,分析了投标施工组织设计存在的不足、注意点以及改进建议。     

Putting theory to work: the use of theory in construction research

Attention to epistemology, theory use and citation practices are all issues which distinguish academic disciplines from other ways of knowing. Examples from construction research are used to outline and reflect on these issues. In doing so, the discussion provides an introduction to some key issues in social research as well as a reflection on the current state of construction research as a field. More specifically, differences between positivist and interpretivist epistemologies, the role of theory in each and their use by construction researchers are discussed. Philosophical differences are illustrated by appeal to two published construction research articles by Reichstein et al. and Harty on innovation (Reichstein, Salter and Gann, 2005 Reichstein, T., Salter, A.J. and Gann, D.M. (2005) Last among equals: a comparison of innovation in construction, services and manufacturing in the UK. Construction Management and Economics, 23, 631–644.10.1080/01446190500126940[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]; Harty, 2008 Harty, C. (2008) Implementing innovation in construction: contexts, relative boundedness and actor-network theory. Construction Management and Economics, 26, 1029–1041.10.1080/01446190802298413[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). An analysis of citations for each highlights different cumulativity strategies. The potential contribution of mixed research programmes, combining positivist and interpretivist research, is evaluated. The paper should be of interest to early researchers and to scholars concerned with the ongoing development of construction research as an academic field.     

高层住宅楼电气设计与现场施工配合的探讨

结合现有国家设计和施工验收规范,阐述了高层住宅楼建筑电气设计与现场施工配合需重视的几个问题,并从电气竖井的设置、电力线路的选择、敷设方式比较、等电位联结的布置要求等方面论述了设计中需注意的处理方法,从而为广大居民提供更好的居住条件。     

虚拟仿真实验辅助建筑设计基础课程改革与实践——以南方四角攒尖亭建造虚拟仿真实验为例

建筑设计基础课程受场地局限和传统教学模式的束缚,存在工程实践能力训练缺乏、重复性教学、学生对三维空间认知理解困难等问题。对此,浙江农林大学开展了南方四角攒尖亭建造虚拟仿真实验教学项目。针对工程实践能力训练缺乏,开发了"虚拟建造"模块;针对重复性教学问题,开发了"基础认知"模块;针对三维空间认知理解问题,开发了"案例学习"模块,并探索了与之相适应的教学改革方案。实践表明,虚拟仿真实验能够弥补传统教学模式的不足。随着高新信息技术的不断发展成熟,未来将在教学活动中发挥越来越重要作用。     

Development of virtual and real-field construction management systems in innovative, intelligent field factory

In this study, we proposed a concept of virtual and real-field construction management systems (VR-Coms), which is integrated with virtual construction simulation, planning, scheduling, and performance management systems to evaluate productivity and safety in virtual simulated and real-field constructions. And, we built up a computational environment to develop the VR-Coms. The VR-Coms offer supporting modules for learning and discovering solutions with objective to manage construction at right speed with improved humanware and constructability. The configuration of VR-Coms is described. This paper also shows an application of agent theory to construction management.     

如何做好建筑外窗现场验收工作

本文通过对外窗产品标准的理解以及检测实践,总结了建筑外窗在验收环节应关注的内容.