There are a whole host of problems that can arise in the building sector, with one of the most important issues being safety. The construction sector is reported to be one of the most dangerous areas to work in, especially those who are involved in the construction of bridges. Next to safety, the most common problem when it comes to construction, primarily bridges and roadways, is having enough labor to effectively and efficiently tie the rebar, which is the most critical component of safe roadways and bridges. The good news is, a Saxonburg, PA construction firm has developed a solution to the problem… Tybot, an autonomous rebar-tying robot.
Rebar is the main reinforcement for bridges and roadways-it must be laid before the concrete can be mixed and poured, unfortunately, once the rebar is laid, it must be tied. Tying rebar is a back-breaking, monotonous task that requires laborers to tie wires around each intersection in order to stabilize and reinforce the bars. It is common for the same crew to move from one construction site to the next doing nothing but tying rebar, which often results in delays in projects. Tybot, will work with supervision of only one worker and the arm of the robot can expand up to 140 feet across the width of the bridge frame. Tybot can basically do the work in half of the labor hours it would typically take for a crew to manually tie the rebar. This not only frees up labor for other projects, but there will be a significant increase in productivity.
Not only is tying rebar one of the most tedious, labor-intensive tasks, but also increases the risk of injuries on the job site. Slips and falls are one of the most common types of accidents in this sector of the construction field. Laborers generally have to straddle and bend over the rebar frames in order to tie the intersections, putting workers at high risk of back problems as well as more serious injuries. Tybot reduces the risk of worker slips and falls, which significantly improves the safety factor of job sites.
A lack of laborers, delay in starting projects and injuries all can put a serious dent in the profits. Tybot can help to increase profits by potentially saving construction firms hundreds, if not thousands, in labor costs and eliminated delays in start and completion time as well as the amount that will be spared from a decrease in injuries and liabilities.
The robot can significantly reduce the number of required laborers, can work anytime of the day or night, speeds up the work and reduces costs and Tybot the autonomous rebar-tying robot can essentially make contractors more efficient by taking the human error out of the work.
Feature image and video courtesy of Tybot LLC . Used with permission.