Special Issue on Construction and Built Environment

The construction industry is one of the largest economicalsectors in developed countries. The economical contributionof the construction industry is comparable withthe contribution of the manufacturing industry. However,the construction industry is one of the most unfamiliar areasof R&D in the robotics community. The first ideasfor construction robots appeared in the 1970s in Japan.Due to quality problems of construction works, lack ofskilled labor, low productivity, numerous accidents andfatalities and high construction demand, the first prototypesof construction robots were developed towards theend of the 1970s. Since then more than 200 constructionrobots and service robots for buildings have been developed,but only about 10% of them have been successfullyintroduced to the construction market. The developmentof on-site robots in the 1980s peaked with the developmentof integrated automated building construction sitesin the 1990s. In the beginning of the 21st century humanoidrobots were researched and tested. In the futurewe will see robots that care for the elderly and handicappedas a further development of construction robots. This issue gives an overview on the state of art ofrobotic technologies in construction. The introductoryarticle also relates the construction robotics developmentto the industrial robotics technology in the prefabricationsector of the 1970s, gives examples of various constructionrobotics developments of the 1980s, the integratedautomated building construction sites since the 1990s, andthe humanoid construction robotics developments and integratedindustrialization efforts of recent date. Roboticsubtechnologies such as programming, sensors, kinematics,teleoperation, navigation, human-robot interaction arepresented to the reader. During the last years much efforthas been devoted to the application of robots and roboticstechnology in construction works. Most of them are forout-door application, where the tasks are developed incomplex unstructured environments and under hazardousconditions. The construction robots introduced during thelast years have dramatically improved labor conditions,productivity and quality levels, and also have increasedthe safety conditions for operators. The nowadays constructionrobotics technology tries to take advantage ofthe last developments for control, navigation, localization,human-machine interface or sensor use. Howeverrobotics in construction is still a very challenging topic inorder to clarify many unsolved R&D issues. The purpose of this special issue is to provide a reviewof open issues and new developments in robotics inconstruction, ranging from major construction engineeringprojects to residential building construction: <ul> <li> • Robotics for building construction.</li> <li> • Robotics for civil engineering: roads, bridges, earthmoving, etc.</li> <li> • Inspection, maintenance and infrastructures robots.</li> <li> • Navigation, mapping and localization of robots inconstruction environments.</li> <li> • Technology components for construction robots: 3Dsensors, end-effectors, HMI, control strategies, cooperation,safety, etc.</li> </ul>

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Special Issue on Application of Robot and AI

International Journal of Automation Technology ◽

10.20965/ijat.2021.p0139 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 139-139

Author(s):

Naoki Asakawa

Keyword(s):

Path Planning ◽

Manufacturing Industry ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Human Hand ◽

Path Generation ◽

Trial And Error ◽

Special Issue ◽

Skilled Workers ◽

Skilled Worker ◽

Robot Hands

Due to changes in the global industrial structure, the number of employees in the manufacturing industry has decreased in developed countries. One of solutions to this situation offered in Industry 4.0 is “the utilization of robots and AI as alternatives to skilled workers.” This solution has been applied to various operations conventionally performed by skilled workers and has yielded consistent results. A skilled worker has two skills, namely, “physical operation skill” and “decision making skill,” which correspond to the utilization of robots and AI, respectively. Conventionally, robots have simply played back programs they were taught. However, owing to feedback technologies using force, position, or various other sensors, robots have come to be able to perform smart operations. In some of these, the capabilities of robots exceed those of human workers. For example, while humans are highly adaptive to various operations, it is difficult for them to maintain a constant force or position for long periods of time. Generally, humans make decisions about operations according to their experience, and this experience is gained from many instances of trial and error. Now, the trial-and-error learning of AI has become significantly superior to that of humans in terms of both number and speed. As a result, many systems can find operational strategies or answers much faster than humans can. This special issue features papers on robot hands, path planning, kinematics, and AI. Papers related to robot hands present an actuator using new principles, new movements, and the realization of the precise sense of the human hand. Papers related to path planning present path generation on the basis of CAD data, path generation using image processing, automatic path generation on the basis of environmental information, and the prediction of error and correction. Path generation using VR technology and error compensation using an AI technique are also presented. A paper related to kinematics presents the analysis and evaluation of a new mechanism with the aim of new applications in the field of machining. In closing, I would like to thank the authors, reviewers, and editors, without whose hard work and earnest cooperation this issue could not have been completed and presented.

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Comparative Cost Estimation of Residential Building

International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology ◽

10.22214/ijraset.2021.37847 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 2735-2739

Author(s):

Prof. Amit Kale

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Cost Estimation ◽

Construction Management ◽

Research Effort ◽

Construction Project ◽

Residential Building ◽

Construction Cost ◽

Building Construction ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Comparative Cost

Abstract: A construction project of any building is mainly based on 3 important steps that are planning, Cost Estimation of the building and proper execution of construction of the building. Construction cost estimation has the lion’s share of the research effort in construction management. The Objective is to analyze the effectiveness of various cost estimation methods by comparing traditional and various online websites. This study will provide more accurate estimates that save time and minimize errors. The research conducted will be helpful for estimation of construction, also proving how the introduction of IT sector in construction industry is turning out to be beneficial. Keywords: Estimation, Construction Management, Online Websites, minimize errors

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Robot ensembles for building construction

Robotica ◽

10.1017/s0263574700004628 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 275-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Murray A. Muspratt

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Manufacturing Industry ◽

Building Construction ◽

Robotic Technology

SUMMARYRobot intensiveness in the manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, but the construction industry has been slow to capitalise on the array of robotic technology now available. An attempt is made to indentify various robot ensembles that may prove economically viable in building construction, and to configure these in such a way that particular characteristics of robot work methods are used to maximum advantage within the constraints of the construction environment.

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Robotics in construction: implementation and economic evaluation

Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering ◽

10.1139/l89-101 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 678-683 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Osama Moselhi ◽

Stanley Hason

Keyword(s):

Economic Evaluation ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Building Construction ◽

Skilled Labor ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Construction Sites ◽

Construction Productivity ◽

Construction Robotics ◽

Harsh Climate ◽

The U.S

This paper presents a review of current worldwide efforts in automation and robotization for construction. Over a dozen countries are currently involved in such research efforts to overcome mainly declining productivity, increasing labor costs, hazards in the workplace, and scarcity of skilled labor. Research and development progress of Japanese contractors is emphasized, as they are aggressively introducing robots on site. A number of their leading contractors are visited, and applications of robotic equipment utilized on building construction sites in Japan are summarized. The Canadian construction industry, existing in a harsh climate and affected by shortages of skilled labor and high labor costs, needs to carefully consider construction robotics in order to meet its changing needs. The characteristics of the Canadian environment are presented and factors that have a direct bearing on the feasibility and implementation of robotics are emphasized. Different methods for the evaluation of the value of a construction robot are presented and applied to a numerical example. Comparisons are then made between the U.S. and Canada. It is believed that, given existing technology, economical constraints will either force or impede the implementation of robotics. Key words: Canadian construction industry, construction robot, automation, building construction, productivity, feasibility.

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Developing attributes for evaluating construction project-based performance

The TQM Journal ◽

10.1108/tqm-04-2016-0036 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 369-384 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Debby Willar

Keyword(s):

Performance Assessment ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Construction Project ◽

Assessment System ◽

Building Construction ◽

Quality Performance ◽

Content Type ◽

Construction Companies ◽

Performance Assessment System ◽

Construction Works

Purpose The Indonesian construction industry has to considerably rise due to the issues of quality product, organisational performance and global competitiveness faced today, along with settling several national challenges that continue to plague the construction industry. Delivering high-quality construction products and services is non-negotiable when competing for contracts with international constructors. Developing such an assessment system to evaluate the performance of Indonesian construction companies is an urgent need in order to encourage and motivate the construction companies to continually improve their performance in the execution of construction works. The purpose of this paper is to empirically test the key attributes related to the evaluation of quality and performance in the construction project-based case of Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted in the five provinces in Indonesia involving 216 construction practitioners from medium and large qualifications of construction companies. Findings On the basis of the data analysis results, the study develops the 39 key attributes that can be a basis for the development of Indonesian building construction project performance assessment system. The attributes cover construction companies’ performance during project implementation, in delivering final project results and in implementing quality procedures for building construction works. Originality/value The outcome of this study is considered significant to provide a tool for the government to assess the quality performance of contractors in delivering projects against specified standards, and a guideline for the contractors to improve their competitiveness by implementing continuous quality improvement. The confirmed attributes developed from this study is an initial step towards developing an Indonesian construction comprehensive quality performance assessment system.

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Factors causing design changes in Vietnamese residential construction projects: An evaluation and comparison

Journal of Science and Technology in Civil Engineering (STCE) - NUCE ◽

10.31814/10.31814/stce.nuce2020-14(3)-13 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 151-166

Author(s):

Ha Duy Khanh

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Residential Building ◽

Project Performance ◽

Building Construction ◽

Residential Construction ◽

Implementation Phase ◽

Design Change ◽

Design Changes ◽

Variance Explained

Most of the construction projects in Vietnam are suffering from the design changes during the implementation phase. These changes have a significant impact on the time and cost of the project. The primary purpose of this study is to explore factors causing the design change of residential construction projects from the Vietnamese perspective. This study has used a questionnaire to collect data for the occurrence and effect of these factors on project performance. Based on the literature review, there are a total of 28 initial factors filtered. These factors were classified into four cases: environment, clients, consultants, and contractors. The results of the analysis showed that there is almost no difference in mean between groups of respondents, and there is a relatively high consensus in ranking the factors between project parties. Based on factor analysis, there are four principal components extracted from all initial factors, with total variance explained of nearly 65.2%. In addition, an evaluation sheet for the overall impact of factors on project performance is proposed. The result indicated that the level of impact is 70.7 per the scale of 100. Eventually, a comparison with other construction project types has been made to understand generally the factors of design changes in the construction industry. Keywords: design change; residential building; construction management; Vietnam.

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Special Issue on Design and Manufacturing for Environmental Sustainability

International Journal of Automation Technology ◽

10.20965/ijat.2014.p0625 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 625-625 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yasushi Umeda

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Manufacturing Industry ◽

Sustainable Manufacturing ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Resource Scarcity ◽

Special Issue ◽

Environmentally Conscious ◽

Responsible Investment ◽

Design And Manufacturing ◽

Environmentally Conscious Design

This issue focuses on design and manufacturing theories and methodologies aimed at achieving environmental sustainability. It has been two decades since environmental sustainability and related issues have been discussed as main issues in design and manufacturing. In these 20 years, theories and methodologies have been developed on environmentally conscious design, including the design of disassembly and life cycle assessment, and manufacturing techniques for saving energy and resources and low emission. In spite of these efforts, the seriousness of the environmental issues, e.g., global warming, is getting harder and harder and new issues continuously arise. It has gradually been recognized that essential problems reside within the manufacturing industry structure and the center of the manufacturing industry has shifted from developed countries such as Japan and US to developing countries with accelerating mass production and mass consumption. Based on this recognition, this special issues deals with rather novel topics emerging in the domain of design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability. The first five papers provide a global scope on the relationship between environmental sustainability and manufacturing industry, including global energy consumption patterns, manufacturing industry scenario writing, informative reviews on lean remanufacturing, urban mining, and education on resource scarcity. The second three papers focus on human recognition and behavior – emerging topics in this domain – including socially responsible investment, customer choice, and the routing of electric vehicles. The last five papers propose new methods or technologies of environmentally conscious design and sustainable manufacturing, including ecobusiness design, electric vehicle heating systems, and the sustainability evaluation of manufacturing processes. Some papers, revised and extended in response to the editor’s invitations, were originally presented at EcoDesign 2013: 8th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing (Jeju, Korea). The editor sincerely thanks the authors and reviewers for their devoted work in making this special issue possible. We hope that these articles will encourage further research on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability.

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