Development of all-in-one attachment-based PHC pile head cutting robot

Abstract

ABSTRACTPHC pile head cutting is an essential operation in foundation works, as it is needed to level the pile foundations. However, as it involves workers manually cutting the PHC pile with a grinder, the PHC pile head cutting process has several challenges with regard to safety, convenience, productivity, and quality. To address such problems, in this study, we define the core element technologies and automated work processes of an all-in-one attachment-based PHC pile head cutting robot that allow a series of operations to be performed in sequence – recognizing a cut-off line on PHC piles; cutting them; and separating, lifting, transporting, and unloading the severed top parts of the piles – without the need to involve workers onsite. Additionally, a prototype of the robot is developed and subjected to performance evaluation and productivity analysis. The results of the performance evaluation and productivity analysis of the conventional and automated methods performed using Web-CYCLONE simulations indicate that the automated method can improve the productivity by 3.13% compared with the conventional method. It is anticipated that when deployed onsite, the proposed robot can not only increase the productivity but also improve the convenience and quality of work at the PHC pile head cutting job site.