'Skyscraper building machine' unveiled at Lingang financial port
An intelligent "skyscraper construction machine" is put into use for the first time for an office high-rise in Shanghai's Lingang area on Monday.
An intelligent "skyscraper construction machine" was put into use for the first time for an office high-rise in a new financial hub in Shanghai's Lingang area, which is taking shape to become another Lujiazui of the city.
The machine is a three-story cage-shaped platform for people to work inside. It integrates the complicated building processes, such as scaffolding the building, steel bar binding, concrete pouring and wall installation.
It can shorten the construction process to four days a level from a week previously. The number of workers can also be reduced by half to 50 for the project, said Zhou Ye, project manager with the China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp.
With the platform, which can be lifted to higher levels using a hydraulic system, builders can work on different levels simultaneously. The interior structures can also be completed along with the exterior walls, Zhou explained.
"The machine makes the construction of a high-rise building easier and more efficient like a vertical assembly line," he said.
The number of workers for the project has been reduced by half with the intelligent building machine.
A mist-spraying system has been integrated into the machine to reduce air pollution during construction. It is also equipped with a bathroom, tearoom and sun shields to improve the working environment for the workers.
The innovative machine developed by the company is expected to be used at more construction projects across the city to improve efficiency and reduce cost.
The 107.8-meter-tall, 21-story high-rise building is set to become a landmark structure for the under-construction Dishui Lake Financial Port in Lingang. It will serve as headquarters for some of the world's leading financial firms upon its completion late this year.
With the application of the cutting-edge machine, the main structure of the building will be completed by late August, said Zhou.
The port will become Shanghai's third key financial hub, following the Bund in Huangpu and the Lujiazui areas in Pudong, according to the blueprint.
