TOWER CRANES Ӏ REMOTE OPERATION
“Skyline Cockpit also eliminates the need for a team member to climb up and down a crane mast several times a day. Plus, operators can easily access welfare facilities whenever they need to, they can stay in the specialist control centre and have valuable face-to-face conversations about works.”
EFFICIENCY GAINS “The system also generates alerts when it’s not being utilised efficiently, so we’ve been able to apply learnings to gain ten per cent lifting productivity," Elson continues. “Crown Place Birmingham is the only project we have used the system on so far; but our collaborative partnership with Skyline Cockpit and our subcontractor Radius Group means we can access multiple systems if and when required.” Is Winvic planning to make the
system universal on all their tower cranes, or just use it for especially high-rise or complex projects? “The challenges are likely to be
similar for tower crane operations everywhere,” says Elson, “and it comes down to making sure everybody on site goes home safely that night. Skyline Cockpit has been welcomed by the whole site team and project managers from our other high-rise projects have visited out site to see it in action for themselves. “Each new project will be assessed on a case by case basis, and factors such as the building’s height, visibility, materials, construction method, compactness of site and other complexities will be considered. Nevertheless, we have every intention of using the technology on other projects.” Delivery of the ground-based
control cabin to the worksite is straightforward. “The Skyline cockpit technology can be housed
42 CRANES TODAY
in any location: theoretically you could operate the crane from anywhere in the world,” Elson explains. “The benefits of having the crane operator in walking distance of the team, however, means we have it located on level one of the project in a 24 foot welfare container with access to electricity and water.” The feedback from several
tower crane operators who have been trained to use Skyline Cockpit has been positive. “They report their role is simpler due to the increased visibility, functionality and data, while the face-to-face communication that the technology affords with other team members boosts their efficiency, general enjoyment and wellbeing,” Elson remarks. Being able to visit the
bathroom and make a hot drink – easily – and whenever the operative wants is also a significant benefit, one which most people take for granted while they’re at work.
DIGITAL WORLD “Winvic works closely with numerous education providers and... technologies like Skyline Cockpit are helping to make construction an appealing career option,” Elson continues. “Bringing the crane operator down to the ground is the first step towards more automation and optimisation of construction sites – and for the younger digital generation this is their world.” Does he see it becoming a
universal tool, with top-of-the- tower cabins becoming obsolete? “I am sure this technology will be adopted across more of our high-rise projects using tower cranes in the future but these things always take time. It wasn’t that long ago, however, that Building Information Modelling
and digital design was used by just a few, and now we’re linking models to Augmented Reality technology to undertake quality control assessments in the as-built environment. “I don’t doubt this is just one technology in a long line of future innovations for the construction industry, which augment productivity, accuracy and safety. The next generation will include optimisation of the crane operations, through driving assistance, in-depth data analytics, and integration with Building Information Modelling (BIM) digital designs. “Other tools we are using at
Crown Place Birmingham provide an insight into the transformation of construction operations and management. The next ten years are going to be exciting. “For example, we’re a project
partner with HP SitePrint, which is a BIM linked robot that travels across a constructed floor slab and prints all the required marks for all the ongoing trades. This type of technology unlocks productivity and quality like never before.” Construction is evolving. The
digital revolution has changed all kinds of working scenarios but, until now, the harsh environments of outside construction sites has meant that transformation has been slower to take root here compared to easier and more predictable indoor workspaces. The Skyline cockpit may well be just the first step along a road. Robotics for bricklaying and other tasks, automated vehicles, AI controlled site planning… the next few years are likely to be transformative; and construction work may well make fewer physical demands, and become less stressful and much more attractive to young people starting out on a new career.
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