Japanese construction company develops automated concrete placement robot for mountain tunnels

(Construction) – Japanese Construction Company Toda Corporation, along with its partners, has developed the “Centrefutures” robot, designed to automate the process of placing lining concrete in mountain tunnels.

Japanese construction company develops automated concrete placement robot for mountain tunnels

The system integrates a device called “Switchers” that can freely switch the concrete placement outlets, along with various sensors and compacting machinery, all mounted on a mobile steel formwork. This marks the first time that the entire process from placement to compaction has been automated, significantly enhancing efficiency and reducing the need for manual labor in lining concrete placement operations.

The system is applicable to concrete with a slump of around 15 centimeters, which is commonly used for lining concrete. It employs the Switchers and various sensors to identify placement positions and detect filling at the top section, as well as different vibrators to automate the placement from the side walls to the top of the lining concrete. This eliminates the need for manual operations such as moving placement hoses, opening and closing placement outlets, and compacting the concrete.

Toda Corporation has applied the automated placement robot in the tunnel construction in Yamaguchi Prefecture, commissioned by the Chugoku Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. The automation reduced the number of workers required for concrete placement from six to four.

Moving forward, the company aims to continue applying the system on-site, further reducing the number of personnel needed for placement operations to about two, approximately one-third of the traditional workforce. They also plan to expand the use of data obtained from various sensors to further promote the automation of lining concrete placement work. (2024/05/22)