Construcciones Yamaro: Could robots improve construction waste recycling processes?

By
Could robots improve construction waste recycling processes?
Monash University’s robotic arms. (Image: Monash University)

New research suggests that robots could usher in a significant transformation in the processing and recycling of construction waste materials.

Researchers trawled through skip bins across Melbourne construction sites, capturing hundreds of photos of materials destined for landfill. These images were then employed to train deep learning (DL) and artificial intelligence (AI) systems to recognise a diverse range of materials and particles found in mixed waste from construction sites.

Led by Monash University PhD candidate Diani Sirimewan, from the Automation and Sustainability in Construction and Intelligent Infrastructure (ASCII) Lab in Civil Engineering, the study lays the groundwork for leveraging advanced robotics and automation in construction waste management. This promising approach stands to replace manual sorting by workers, which poses risks due to handling hazardous and potentially contaminated waste.

The computer-based system demonstrates superior accuracy and efficiency in identifying and categorising recyclable materials compared to human workers. It is also capable of detecting contaminants, which pose risks to both the community and the environment. This capability is particularly pertinent in light of recent incidents, such as the discovery of asbestos-contaminated garden mulch in Sydney parklands.

Despite the recyclability potential of many materials like timber and glass, sorting debris from demolition and construction sites remains a complex task. While significant strides have been made in managing domestic waste, distinguishing between multiple cluttered construction waste items presents unique challenges.

Related stories:

Sirimewan believes her research is the first to capture detailed images of dense construction, renovation and demolition waste inside bins on construction sites. This breakthrough has enabled her to develop highly advanced recognition and detection models capable of identifying waste obscured by other debris and minuscule contaminants.

Sirimewan is working closely with colleagues who are currently trialling the technology through simulations employing robotic arms. She hopes that this initiative will drive investment in robotics research and development, aiming to improve the efficiency of construction waste processing and recycling in Australia.

“Our deep learning models showed the remarkable ability to recognise the composition of construction and demolition waste streams, including the identification of contaminants,” said Sirimewan. “It’s exciting.”

“The technology could significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills through better-quality recycling – benefiting the environment and reducing the need for workers to be exposed to dangerous and toxic materials.

“We are continually refining our models for application in new robotic technologies and working closely with colleagues who are trialling it through the simulation of robotic arms.”

Sirimewan said Australia urgently needs construction waste recycling plants.

“With the volume of landfill from construction waste expected to balloon, its effective management is a growing problem,” said Sirimewan. “Investment in the entire construction waste management ecosystem supports a circular economy, job creation, manufacturing opportunities and market development opportunities for recycled products.”

Head of the ASCII Lab, associate professor Mehrdad Arashpour, said it is in the national interest to support the innovation of much-needed solutions to the growing waste management problem.

“Every time we demolish or renovate a building or construct something new, a huge amount of waste material is generated,” said Arashpour. “Currently, most of these materials go to waste and end up in landfill, which has significant environmental impacts, not to mention the loss of potentially reusable resources and economic costs.”

The research was published in the Journal of Environmental Management.

The post Could robots improve construction waste recycling processes? appeared first on Inside Construction.



View Source

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ways to Keep your Privacy in a Balcony

By
Image
An apartment has no specific space to enjoy small reunions with friends and relatives out in the open, but if you are lucky enough to have a balcony, you will have an extra space with natural light. However, there is a downside because it does not grant you any privacy. It is not a good idea to shut this space down with some walls and a small window since it will interfere with the flow of air. There are several ways to enjoy a balcony and to have some privacy while you are at it, and Construcciones Yamaro gives you some ideas to do so: 1. -  Bamboo blinds : Bamboo is an ecofriendly element so is excellent for the environment, which is ideal to give a natural touch to this area . Bamboo blinds are easy to set because this is a light and flexible material. It will give you privacy and it will create a barrier to block sunrays, thus giving freshness to the rooms. 2. -  Plants : They are a great idea if you privacy fo
Read more

More About Materials: The Concrete Brick

By
Image
Concrete Bricks Construcciones Yamaro  is a company always aware about giving information about  construction  to its customers. The company provides details and  characteristics about the materials   used in every work the company does .  More than a  construction company , Construcciones Yamaro is an ally to its customers that work together to achieve big goals. For today’s article, Construcciones Yamaro has decided to continue with the presentation of some characteristics about other construction material:  the concrete b rick . The concrete brick is a construction material whose composition is based on  the Portland cement, sand, water and other additives . Usually, it is used to substitute cast cement in the construction of walls, footings and other structures. Uses of the concrete blocks The concrete brick can be usually find in  standard size pieces  which are  rectangular of 8 x 8 x 16 inch size  (20 x 20 40 cm approximately), and typically have about 3/8 inch (a
Read more

Construcciones Yamaro: Information about Productive Maintenance

By
Image
TPM Construcctiones Yamaro , committed to the  development of the construction sector  in Venezuela, explains what is important to know about  Total Productive Maintenance  in order  to optimize all processes and achieve efficiency  of all involved aspects in the construction sector. Total Productive Maintenance or TPM is a strategy  that includes a series of activities created by the  Japan Institute for Plant Maintenance  which helps to improve the competitiveness of an industry organization or services through improved personal strategy and the teams. What are the goals of TPM? Zero accidents. Zero defects in products and services. Zero losses in all departments. TPM only considers the staff to develop strategies? Implementing TPM to your company It is not mandatory to consider only the staff; as a global strategy, analysis of efficiency of machinery, equipment, tools and systems are also considered,  identifying the possible causes that may alter its optimu
Read more