Innovation Challenges

a) To Automate Reinforcement Assembly Processes

1. Place and secure side forms
2. Retrieve main and side meshes from storage to place in mould pallet
3. Secure side meshes to main mesh, place and secure spacers, lifting hooks, cut mesh and place box-outs
4. Remove side forms (demould)

b) To Automate Concreting Processes

1. Spread wet concrete
2. Roughen concrete surface

• Solution developed shall be customized to implement in APPS at CBR
• Redesign existing processes and fixtures (e.g. spacer, lifting hooks) suitable for automation production
• Solution must be cost-efficient, scalable (e.g. to produce wall and column), increase construction productivity and safety

Moulds are customised according to dimensions required to cast volumetric components such as Prefabricated Bathroom Units (PBU) and Household Shelters (HS).

As a result, many types of moulds would have to be fabricated to produce each different type of PBU and HS. These moulds are costly, take time to fabricate and are usually not reused.

• Mould design that can be automatically and mechanically configured in 50mm increments to produce different dimensions of PBUs and HS
• Mould should be able to accommodate standard detailing requirements such as openings for windows and doors.

Inspection of precast components (2D and volumetric) during pre-concreting and post concreting are carried out manually through visual inspection by the Resident Technical Officers (RTOs).

The inspection process is time consuming and additional manpower and time is required to rectify mistakes identified by the RTOs.

• Innovative solution for precast inspection to improve the productivity of the inspection processes by the RTOs
• Improve accuracy and quality of precast production works 
• Reduce manpower and time loss due to rectification works

Piling work, regardless of concrete or steel, requires surveyors to mark out the location for the piling. It is time consuming and manual, therefore looking for digital solutions to mark out location of the piles to reduce manpower and time spent on the process.

For automated marking, ground-marker robots or smart piling rigs, with preloaded maps of piling locations from As-Built Drawings, could be deployed. For precise automated verification of pile locations, drones with preloaded maps of pile coordinates could be used.

• Solution must be able to read pile layout drawings & automatically lay pile markers at the correct coordinates for riggers to bore
• Accuracy of +- 10 mm
• Solution should be able to scan the site and digitally record as-built locations of piles and display eccentricities in stipulated drawing presentation format
• Users should be alerted to installed piles that deviate from their respective designed coordinates by more than the allowable range listed in the stipulated requirements (to be provided)

Manpower is required to transport materials around the construction site, and up floors to unit locations where materials are needed. The task is mundane and repetitive, which makes it unproductive for manpower to do this.

• Built for construction terrain navigation
• Payload: At least 300 kg
• Semi-autonomous and Follow-Me modes
• Automated loading and unloading
• Able to transport materials from ground floor pick-up to desired floor unit drop-off

Manpower is required to prepare the area and mortar mixture for application at precast joints. Workers are to ensure that the bedding meets the requirement and ready to receive the upper component.

• Able to place shim plate to the right level before application of bedding mortar
• Prepare grout mixture as specified in technical specification
• Apply bedding mortar to desired location