The Application of the Automated Transit System to Construction Sites

We introduced the outline of the remote -control type automated transit system in a paper presented at the 11th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, entitled "The Development of a remote-control transportation system for use in underground space ". This system is used to convey excavated soil, materials and tools to the construction site of a subway in Tokyo, Japan. At this construction site, there were very difficult obstacles to construction work , such as soft ground , many buried structures, and severely restricted space for the construction work above ground. Very good results were achieved by the introduction of the underground tunnel-conveyance system to this subway construction site. Because this system which operates grab buckets and hoists of the suspended traveling type, automatically by a remote-control device, has been developed over a long period of time, it is applicable to very soft ground . It has still enough operation ability even in spite of some restrictions at the entrance to carry in and out . As it well maintains the safety and improves. the working environment in a tunnel . It was operated smoothly even under severe construction conditions , and as a result , there was a drastic reduction of labor and the completion of the phase of the project was achieved. This paper reports the application example of the automated transit system to this construction site.