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Safety and Productivity Analysis On Alternative Steel Column-Girder Joint For Automated Construction

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International Conference on Control, Automation and Systems 2010 Oct.

27-30, 2010 in KINTEX, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

Safety and Productivity Analysis on Alternative Steel Column-Girder Joint for Automated Construction
Dong-In Kim1 and Hunhee Cho2
1

School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea (Tel : +82-2-939-5930; E-mail: dikim@korea.ac.kr) 2 School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea (Tel : +82-2-3290-3328; E-mail: hhcho@korea.ac.kr) Abstract: The automated construction method has been regarded as an alternative way to decrease the dependency of skilled laborers and to improve the constructional condition for ensuring safety and increasing productivity of relevant processes. For applying an automated construction system and for the realization of its expected effectiveness, unavoidable changes in conventional details of materials and sub-components might be needed. Now, in Korea, a project to research an automated construction system for steel structures is ongoing, and an alternative detail for the column-girder joint has been suggested as a partial progress result. In this study, performances of the suggested detail were analyzed on the points of collision stress and installation time that are measured in the pilot project. From the result, the application of the specified detail can be considered to satisfy this requirement, related to the allowable stress of the structural steel, and to result in an effective improvement in productivity. Keywords: Automated Construction, Steel Structural Joint, Safety, Productivity

1. INTRODUCTION
The automated construction method has been regarded as an alternative way to decrease the dependency of skilled laborers [1] and to improve the constructional condition for ensuring safety and increasing productivity of relevant processes similar to other industries. A project to research an automated construction system for steel structures is currently ongoing in Korea, with a construction site for testing and an alternative detail of the column-girder joint has been suggested as one of the results in the projects progress. To validate the adequacy of the result and extend the adaptability of the new method, a performance review of the suggested method should be carried out, related to safety and productivity. For these purposes, on-site testing and research was performed. The first objective of this research is to verify the safety of the column-girder joint that has been suggested by prior studies, at the point of dynamic stress from collision between the column-bracket and girder. The second objective is to verify the effectiveness of saving time during girder installation.

between the bracket and the girder in order to slide the installed girder downward. It also uses a pair of Yshaped vertical splicing plates to aid the sliding of the girder during its installation.

1) Installing guide ropes

2) Passing guide ropes through guide halls

2. LITERATURE RIVIEW
The column-bracket and girder joint, having an inclined section joint, Y-shaped splicing plate and guiding rope for installation was suggested in 2009, by Jin et al. [2]. The suggested joint was developed as part of a construction automation system for structural steel erection, to install girders in the correct locations before the bolting process. Two special changes were made to the joint to distinguish this method from the conventional method of girder installation. One change is that of shape, and another is the change of process for installation. In terms of shape, there is an inclined cutting section

3) Pulling guide ropes for girder positioning

4) Passing girder wedges through guide halls

5) Completing of girder installation

6) Removing guiding ropes

Fig. 1 Installation Process of Suggested Method by Jin, et al. [2]

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In terms of the installing process, the conventional method needs skilled laborers at the girder installation level, which should be higher than the slab level, and this constructional condition could be the cause of accidents where the laborers fall over. In the suggested process, the laborers, who handle the guiding ropes at the slab level, do not need to climb up to the girder installation level.

installation time values were measured in the same building of this test-bed for conventional and suggested methods. The steel structural building, which was used for testing, is about 36 meters high and is square-shaped. Each side is about 24 meters.

Fig. 3 Test-bed in Korea University


(a) Conventional (b) Suggested

Fig. 2 Comparison of girder installation work In 2009, following this suggestion, Kim et al. noted the need to verify the performance review of the suggested joint [3]. Thus, they prepared a set of mockup samples that consists of 2 column-brackets and 1 girder at the height of a story. Using this mock-up sample Kim et al. analyzed the structural safety of the bracket, related to static stress by the loaded weight of the girder, before the start of the bolting process. In addition to safety, they also compared the installation time of the new method with that of the conventional method, in terms of productivity. However, because the joint detail to be applied does not utilize skilled laborers at the installation level, the number and impact of collisions could be increased over the conventional method. Consequently, additional research about the effect of dynamic stress from collision between the column-bracket and girder should be carried out. For efficiency, columns that extend through 3 stories are used more widely than shorter columns. Furthermore, slabs are not usually poured before the completion of girder installation for 3 stories or more. Therefore, to evaluate the productivity of a new application, the installation of the girder at the height of 3 stories or more, should be considered.

Of these building components, girders of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lower floors were chosen as test specimens for productivity comparison. For the installation of the time measurement of conventional and suggested methods, 3 girders and 1 girder per stair were used, respectively. In the case of the samples of the suggested method, measuring of installation time was repeated 10 times, and the collision stress measuring was conducted simultaneously. 3.2 Measuring of strain The allowable stress (fy) of structural steel (SS400, in accordance with KS D 3503) to be used, is 235 MPa. In the lower area of columns where the suggested joint is applied, strain gauges are attached to column flanges. For recording variations of strain which would be changed rapidly, a dynamic logger (100 times per second) was used. To convert the measured strain into stress, the following formula was applied.

( V /H
6

(1)

where, ( indicates the modulus of elasticity (2.110, SS400), V is the value of strain, and H indicates the value of stress

3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Test area on site A construction site, as a test bed for researching an automation construction system, is now operating at Korea University. To minimize the effects from different construction conditions, all sets of girder

Fig. 4 Strain gages and dynamic data logger

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3.3 Measuring of installation time To maintain the objectivity of the comparison, the processes of the method to be measured were brokendown into activity levels as follows. Table 1 Activities of girder installation for test
Conventional method Proximity of girder at position to be installed on safety rope installation girder installation by labors at column brackets* pre-bolting Suggested method Proximity of girder under position to be installed on guiding rope installation additional lifting by crane girder installation by labors on floor** guiding rope removal

There are several differences compared to the suggested detail of the prior study [2]. The inclined face area of the Y-shaped splicing plate is decreased to avoid interference with bolt fabrication of the upper flange. In lieu of this change, the projecting parts from the upper end of the Y-shaped splicing plates are adopted. These projecting parts are helpful to avoid interferences in the bolting work for upper flange and web of the joint.

4. RESULT
4.1 Safety for collision stress during installation The values of stress, to be calculated from the measured strain in the lower area of columns and the above formula, are shown as follows. Table 2 Strain and stress of column lower area
descrip -tion Min. Max. strain( ) + 17.92 204.72 -11.32 -62.26 stress(Mpa) + 3.76 42.99 -2.38 -13.08

*, **: net installation processes to be compared.

Through the activity break-down, safety rope installation and pre-bolting are excluded from the net time of the girder installation, for the conventional method. In the time for measuring a suggested method, the same approach was applied. However, time for guiding rope installation and removal, and additional lifting for guiding rope handling are added as additional activities. Girder lifting by crane for proximity at the position to be installed is excluded in both methods. 3.4 Girder joint detail of suggested method The joints of the suggested method are shown below.

Allowable stress of SS400: 235Mpa Total trial: 20 times

The range of calculated stress is -13.08 MPa to 42.99 MPa. The maximum value of stress is about 18 % of the allowable stress of the steel material. 4.2 Time productivity of Installation progress The net installation times to be measured are shown below. Table 3 Net installation time of girders
Conventional method Girder Level 2nd FB. 3rd FB. 4th FB. Aver. Total (a) 378 504 464 449 167 167 Deduc -tion (b) Net (a-b) 211 337 297 282 Suggested method Additio install -nal -ation (c) (d) 43 38 38 40 74 64 118 85 Net (c+d) 117 102 156 125

(a) Conventional joint

(b) Suggested joint

FB: Floor Bottom, Unit: Seconds

In the case of the conventional method, the average net installation time is 282 seconds. The average net installation time for the suggested method is 125 seconds.

5. CONCLUSION
Compared with the conventional steel girder installation method, the suggested joint, which has an inclined section joint, Y-shaped splicing plate and guiding rope for installation, can increase the chance of collisions between the column-bracket and girder during the installation process because there is no installer at

(c) Y-shaped splicing plate

(d) Inclined section of girder

Fig. 5 Joint Detail of suggested method

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the installed position. However, in the steel column's lower areas, the maximum stresses, which have been measured, do not exceed the allowable stress of the material. Therefore, structural safety, in terms of the column when installing the girder, can be expected when the suggested method is applied. In view of productivity, the suggested method can reduce installation time in the cases of bottom girder installation of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors on a slab already fully prepared. As a result, the suggested steel girder installation method, with an inclined section joint, Y-shaped splicing plate and guiding rope for installation, can be an alternative method to the conventional method with a vertical joint and flat splicing plate.

which need to be untied manually. According to the opinion of skilled personnel, who participated in the testing as guiding ropes operators, it is difficult to control these ropes through all of the installation processes. Finally, the guiding rope operators are exposed to unsafe conditions. Because the operators need to move around under the girder to handle the guiding ropes, if the girder falls down, critical accidents could occur. 3.5 Further studies On the basis of these observations, various researching efforts, such as additional changes of joint shape and the development of an automated guiding ropes connector and controller, are currently in progress at the Korea University.

6. DISCUSSION
3.1 Lack of sample numbers In spite of the positive expectation of the installation performances of the suggested method, statistical reliability cannot be determined, because there is a lack of sample numbers. An additional trial to obtain more samples will be needed. 3.2 Restriction for understanding stress Although unsound collision stress in the lower column areas during installation is not found, this does not mean that the steel structures in the installation processes are free from partial defects such as cracks of the welded area and deformations in the column-bracket joint. 3.3 Visible area effect of tower crane operator Even though the net installation time of the 4th floor bottom girder where the suggested method is used is somewhat longer than that of the other lower levels, the time reducing effect is assumed to be still overvalued. This is because the installation location is a visible area for the tower crane operator, while other levels are not visible. 3.4 Other observations in testing progress Firstly, in the process of guiding by ropes, the ropes often hung at an angle of the Y-shaped splicing plates, and in particular were wound around the projecting parts of the plates. There might be two causes for these conditions. One cause is the intuitional corner of the splicing plate crossing with the rope movements, and another is the insufficient tension of the ropes. In addition, it was observed that the sharpness of the steel material edges, especially the top of the Y-shaped splicing plates and exposed bottom of the girder web, can disturb the sliding of the girder on the surface of the plates during installation. Another observation is the length of the guiding ropes. The guiding ropes are designed to be more than 4 times the length of the floor height in order to avoid knots

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by the Korean Institute of Construction & Transportation Technology Evaluation and Planning (KICTEP) with the program number `06Unified and Advanced Construction Technology Program-D01.

REFERENCES
[1] Junbok Lee, Construction Automation and Robotics: Today and Tomorrow, Review of Architecture and Building Science, Vol. 51, No. 6, pp. 25-27, 2007. Il-Guan Jin, Yoonseok Shin, Hunhee Cho and Kyung-In Kang, Development of Component Design Process for Automated Construction System, Korean journal of construction engineering and management, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 76-86, 2009 Dongkeon Kim, Sung-Woo Yang, Taehoon Kim, Yoonseok Shin, Hunhee Cho, Kyung-In Kang, Constructibility Analysis of Self-supported Steel Joint for Automated Construction System, Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1-4, 2009.

[2]

[3]

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