{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"Singapore’s public housing projects deploy autonomous tower crane with Skyjuster","date":"2024-11-09 08:58:48","id":5626,"author":"","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2024/11/1731080907902_Annex B-1 copy 2.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

In 2022, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) – Singapore’s public housing authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development – launched the Construction Transformation Project (CTP) to kick-start the next phase of HDB’s productivity transformation journey towards its 2030 target, adopting various advanced technologies in the design and construction of its BTO (build-to-order) projects, Garden Waterfront I & II @ Tengah. The CTP, which is a partnership with construction firm Obayashi Singapore Pte Ltd, aims to realise a 25% improvement in site productivity, compared to other BTO projects.

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The innovative technologies tested in Garden Waterfront I & II @ Tengah are expected to yield higher productivity through more efficient use of manpower and resources. These innovations, including those below, will be studied for possible wider-scale implementation in future BTO developments.

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AI in autonomous tower crane

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To enhance the efficiency, safety and precision of tower crane operations, AI is being used in the autonomous tower crane integrated with Skyjuster. AI helps to automate the lifting and transportation of precast components, and adjust the orientation of the suspended components mid-air for greater precision, which speeds up installation of precast components. This will enable HDB to build flats faster and safely, compared to traditional construction methods.

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Before any on-site works begin, a comprehensive virtual design and construction model using building information modelling (BIM) is developed and seamlessly integrated with the autonomous tower crane. This information model (digital twin) specifies the placement of each precast component, before they are hoisted. The digital twin is continuously updated during the installation process to help the crane monitor live construction activity and maintain the required safety clearance from installed structures.

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To initiate hoisting works, the operator only needs to touch a button in the cabin, then the crane autonomously lifts and transports precast units through the shortest safe route to their designated locations recorded in the BIM. This streamlined process reduces operator fatigue and enhances operational efficiency on-site.

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During the automated hoisting and placement, the crane operator also acts as a safety contingency, where they can manually override the movement of the tower crane should they notice any potential safety hazard.

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The integration of the Skyjuster – which houses a gyroscope – to the lifting frame further enhances the crane system by eliminating swaying motions of the modules, and automating the rotation and positioning of suspended components to the intended alignment before they are lowered into place. It removes the need for manpower to provide manual rope guidance, and speeds up the construction process while enhancing overall safety, especially for large and heavy precast modules that require significant effort to manoeuvre.

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The entire installation process from hoisting to final placement is monitored live through the digital twin model remotely at the site office, ensuring accurate and safe installation.

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Crane machine guidance

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Another innovation being piloted as part of CTP is the crane machine guidance technology, which is being used in mobile cranes for the construction of a multi-storey car park. The technology incorporates advanced safety features, thereby enabling two adjacent mobile cranes to operate safely and simultaneously within a confined space, with less manpower.

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The GPS system on the mobile cranes defines each crane’s specific operational zones to ensure their safe movement, and the sensors on the crane’s boom provide alerts to the crane operator to ensure that safe distances between the cranes are maintained. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors on the boom also provide the crane operator with feedback on the vertical accuracy of the hoisted components and detect potential obstructions in the object’s path, therefore facilitating precise and safe component installation without the need for an onsite spotter.

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In addition, the crane machine guidance technology provides mobile crane operators with a birds’ eye view of the construction area, eliminating the need for traditional walkie-talkie communication with workers to manoeuvre the boom, and enabling tasks to be carried out safely and with greater precision, in a shorter time.

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All images: HDB

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Singapore’s Housing & Development Board (HDB) has announced that it will accelerate its push towards higher construction productivity in public housing projects, setting a new target of 40% site improvement by 2030.

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In 2020, HDB achieved a 25.9% productivity improvement, exceeding the target set in 2010 to achieve a 25% improvement by 2020. Since 2021, the adoption of design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) in all new HDB projects, as well as integrated digital delivery (IDD) in some projects, has continued to contribute to productivity growth.

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A key initiative in meeting HDB’s new target is a Construction Transformation Project (CTP), which will pilot a range of innovations and technologies to further raise productivity. In partnership with construction firm Obayashi Singapore Pte Ltd, HDB will adopt the latest advanced construction technologies to design and build the upcoming ‘Garden Waterfront I & II @ Tengah’ build-to-order (BTO) project. When completed, this CTP aims to realise a 25% improvement in productivity as compared to other BTO projects then.

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“The pandemic over the past two years posed tremendous challenges to the building industry, not least in terms of workers shortage and supply chain resilience. As the largest housing developer in Singapore, HDB is keenly aware of our role as a catalyst and market mover in driving construction productivity and transformation of the built environment sector,” said Tan Meng Dui, CEO of HDB. “Our efforts in harnessing technology, including DfMA and IDD, have enabled us to continually improve productivity over more than two decades, and this continued even in 2021 when productivity improvements reached 26.2%.

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“With the CTP, we hope to raise the bar further and find novel ways to construct quality homes with less manpower, faster and safer. These efforts, which are geared towards achieving construction productivity improvements of 40% goal by 2030, will also enhance the resilience of our construction ecosystem, and support the ramp-up of HDB’s building programme over the next few years and deliver HDB flats faster to our buyers.”

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Construction Transformation Project

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For the Garden Waterfront I & II @ Tengah development, HDB will adopt new technologies and innovations in the design, fabrication and construction stages. Key takeaways from this project will be studied for future implementation in other BTO projects.

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HDB will use virtual design and construction (VDC) to simulate the design and construction activities virtually, so that they can be refined further by consultants and contractors before the actual construction on site. This allows greater integration and collaboration among stakeholders across the construction value chain.

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One main component of VDC is the virtual mock-up unit, a digital twin of the actual residential unit with a high level of detail such as the positions of pipes, sanitary fixtures, power points, switches and furniture. This gives the project team an ‘X-ray vision’ of the unit, enabling the team to identify and resolve potential design and construction issues upstream collaboratively.

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Previously, life-size physical mock-ups of the kitchen and toilet using plywood (timber mock-ups) had to be built, and this took up more time, effort and resources. All new HDB projects launched from 2022, including the CTP, will use virtual mock-ups instead of timber mock-ups.

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HDB will also use a hybrid precast system – incorporating both 2D and 3D precast components – for the residential units in this CTP. Currently, full 3D prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) components are used in many HDB projects.

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The more efficient, hybrid precast system will enable HDB to design and build residential units using a beamless flat plate system. This results in consistently higher headroom compared to flats in typical BTO projects which have beams. As such, residents will have greater flexibility in configuring the layout of their flat.

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At the same time, HDB is piloting the use of 3D concrete printing for small streetscape furniture and other landscape features for some projects in Tengah and Bidadari. For the CTP, HDB will go one step further to use a special fibre-glass reinforced concrete material to provide structural strength. This innovations allows HDB to potentially use less material than conventional 3D printing methods, and also paves the way for studies on larger and more complex structures to be potentially fabricated in this manner without the need for complex moulds.

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In addition, to allow for cleaner, higher quality and less manpower-intensive construction, HDB will be testing a few innovations from Obayashi on a pilot basis, to study their impact on productivity and construction safety.

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To reduce manpower required for repetitive and labour-intensive activities such as operating tower cranes, HDB will use artificial intelligence (AI) in tower crane operations to optimise the hoisting routes for precast components. The light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology is also used to detect and avoid collisions.

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Likewise, crawler cranes are still largely operated manually. With the crane machine guidance technology, crawler crane operators will be guided on the optimum path for lifting the elements in the construction of the multi-storey car park, using a combination of LiDAR and building information modelling (BIM).

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In place of workers to guide the components into place or to make manual adjustments using guide wires, the SkyJuster – which is attached to the end of the hoisting block – will orientate precast elements to their correct position before they are lowered into place. This helps to reduce the number of workers needed for the precast installation process.

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HDB will also adopt IDD for the project. Digital technologies will be deployed extensively to integrate work processes and connect stakeholders throughout the various stages of the construction and building life cycle, through a cloud-based common data environment. For example, precast components will be automatically tracked using RFID or Bluetooth tags from the time they are fabricated at precast yards, to when they are delivered to site and assembled. IDD helps to better manage the logistic planning and management of precast components from the precast yard to the construction site for the project.

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The innovations in this CTP are expected to yield higher productivity through more efficient use of manpower and resources, while reducing material wastage. Together with the adoption of digital technologies for tighter and more effective collaboration between project stakeholders, from design to construction, HDB targets to achieve a 25% improvement in productivity compared to other BTO projects.

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Collaborations with various stakeholders

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Beyond the CTP, HDB also partners researchers, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and companies to continually explore ways to address challenges related to construction productivity and sustainability. Two key initiatives are the Cities of Tomorrow R&D programme and the Cool Ideas Enterprise platform.

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The Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) R&D programme aims to establish Singapore as a highly liveable, sustainable and resilient city of the future, and a vibrant urban solutions hub. HDB, along with the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), will be launching new grant calls soon in search of innovative solutions in the areas of advanced construction productivity, infrastructure resilience and facilities management.

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These will include the development of solutions to: develop infrastructure to enable robotic assembly on construction sites; automate inspection, diagnose and maintain external building facades; geo-reference and detect underground services and assets for new estates; and automate the collection of waste at older estates served by individual refuse chutes.

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Furthermore, HDB and Enterprise Singapore have committed another S$5 million to support the Cool Ideas Enterprise (CIE). The additional funding provided to the open-innovation platform will continue to support enterprises’ efforts to co-develop solutions to improve HDB living. To this end, HDB is currently calling for solutions to increase productivity and reduce manpower at construction sites and off-site facilities (e.g. precast yards) through automation or digital solutions, without compromising quality and safety. Interested parties can visit HDB InfoWEB for more details.

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Image credits:
\nImages 1-3: HDB
\nImages 4-5: Obayashi Corporation

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Singapore’s Housing & Development Board (HDB) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have inked two collaborations to develop and adopt 5G-enabled smart construction technologies, as well as to facilitate partnerships and commercialisation of the research outcomes developed by agencies under the Ministry of National Development (MND) for operational use. These collaborations were announced on Friday (26 Mar) at the Urban Sustainability R&D e-Symposia 2021 opening webinar.

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The first collaboration, a Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA) between HDB and A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), aims to enable smarter construction by developing and adopting 5G-enabled robotic, drone and artificial intelligence technologies that can help raise productivity and improve safety at construction sites.

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The second collaboration is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between HDB and A*STAR to bring together the research community, agencies and industry partners to facilitate partnerships in technology transfer and translate R&D outcomes into commercially ready products.

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HDB’s CEO, Tan Meng Dui said, “As the master developer of public housing in Singapore, HDB constantly seeks to leverage innovative technologies and smart solutions that can help us deliver quality homes for Singaporeans. Through relentless research and innovation over the years, we have built up a wealth of knowledge in urban solutions for the built environment. We will continue to work closely with industry partners to accelerate technology transfer, so that the built environment sector can benefit from of our R&D outcomes.”

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“A*STAR is increasing its support of the Urban Solutions and Sustainability (USS) domain under Research-Innovation-Enterprise (RIE) 2025,” said Frederick Chew, CEO of A*STAR. “We are collaborating closely with HDB on introducing innovative technologies into the built environment sector, and catalysing more public sector collaboration with industry. We also aim to work with HDB to translate public sector R&D into positive impact on our society and economy, through such collaborations.”

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Smarter construction technologies

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In their joint statement, HDB and A*STAR explained that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the supply of building materials and manpower within the construction industry. This has put unprecedented pressure on the construction timelines of building projects across both the public and private sectors. There is thus a strong impetus for the industry to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies and digitalisation to help build faster, safer and more efficiently.

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With the impending roll-out of 5G network in Singapore, there is an opportunity for greater use of automation and robotics in the construction sector, leveraging on 5G technology, to enhance productivity and reduce labour dependency.

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The collaboration between HDB and A*STAR’s I2R seeks to research and develop a system which will capture videos, images and data through the use of sensors on robots (legged and wheeled) and drones. Examples of how such information can be used to improve productivity include:

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Scanning and mapping of the construction environment to develop an up to date as-built model (i.e. exact rendering of the construction project as it is built) using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology; and
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Enhancing safety of the construction site through real-time video-streaming and surveillance of construction activities.
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In addition, HDB will study the possibility of employing drone fleets and robotics systems equipped with LiDAR laser scanning technology, to automate the scanning of actual physical built environments into a 3D as-built site model. Currently, the development of as-built models in the construction industry, which typically takes place when construction is nearing completion, is manual and labour-intensive. By deploying a fleet of drones and robotics systems that can intelligently monitor various aspects of a construction site, the entire process can be automated to enable onsite scanning and mapping of the construction site into a 3D as-built model. This will bring about savings in manpower and time.

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To allow the drones and robots to function smoothly, HDB will leverage 5G technology for its high data transmission rate and increased network capacity. A*STAR will develop a 5G modem prototype module with low latency and robust communication link, to enable onsite scanning and mapping of the site as the project is built, and real-time monitoring of activities at construction sites.

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According to both partners, most construction sites nowadays employ static CCTV systems to assist with site monitoring; however, as construction sites cover a large area, there may be spots which are not covered by the scope of the CCTVs.

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With that in mind, tapping on 5G technology, HDB will explore the deployment of cameras mounted on the drones and robotics systems, which would enable high-definition real-time videos of the site environment to be captured wirelessly. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies will be applied to the live video feeds, so that the system can automatically identify safety lapses and detect potentially unsafe behaviours and conditions at HDB construction sites in real time.

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When such lapses are detected, alerts can be immediately sent to the relevant personnel so swift action can be taken to rectify the situation and resolve the issue. This acts as a mobile monitoring system to augment the manual supervision by safety officers on site.

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To ascertain the performance of the system, trials will be conducted at a selected HDB construction site that has ready 5G coverage. The research study is expected to span 2.5 years. If the trials prove successful, HDB will consider extending the system to more construction sites.

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Facilitating partnerships in technology transfer

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Over the years, HDB has pioneered new and innovative solutions to provide residents with a quality living environment. To safeguard these solutions for continued use in HDB projects, HDB has filed over 30 patents for its in-house developed innovations, including the Prefabricated Extensive Green (PEG) roof tray system and the Floating Solar System (FSS).

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The PEG roof tray system was developed to intensify HDB’s greening efforts on rooftops. Besides deploying the system in HDB’s housing projects, HDB tied up with local firms, Eng Seng Tech Pte Ltd and Plantwerkz Pte Ltd, to commercialise the product in countries and cities such as China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

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In its push to generate more clean energy and accelerate solar adoption in Singapore, HDB has also invented the FSS which supports solar panels on water bodies to harness solar energy. The FSS was adapted from a modular floating system known as the Floating Wetland System that was earlier patented by HDB for cultivating wetland plants. Following the successful test-bedding of the FSS in Tengeh Reservoir in Tuas, HDB collaborated with a local company, ISO Landscape Pte Ltd to deploy 5 MegaWatt-peak (MWp) FSS off the coast of Woodlands.

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The MOU between HDB and A*STAR seeks to forge closer partnerships among the research community, government agencies and industry partners over the next three years, to facilitate technology transfer and translate R&D outcomes into impactful solutions for Singapore, and potentially for cities around the world.

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With its prior experience in intellectual property (IP) management, HDB has been appointed as the lead agency for IP management and technology transfer, for the agencies under the Ministry of National Development. The MOU will tap on A*STAR’s expertise, connection with the industries and the local science and technology ecosystem, to facilitate collaborations to commercialise MND R&D outcomes and IPs.

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