Self-assembling crane promises to halve cost of offshore wind setup

Part of the exorbitant cost of offshore wind energy is the massive crane ships required to install the damn things – but Norwegian company Windspider has come up with a brilliantly lightweight crane system that promises to slash costs in half.Continue … Continue reading Self-assembling crane promises to halve cost of offshore wind setup

Video: Giant robotic arm 3D-prints a two-story house

A new 3D construction printer from Icon can whip out two-story concrete buildings faster and cheaper than its previous Vulcan printer. It has already been used to build a 27-ft-high structure called Phoenix House, now on display in Austin, Texas.Contin… Continue reading Video: Giant robotic arm 3D-prints a two-story house

Graphene replaces sand to make lighter, stronger concrete

When you think of resources we’re running out of, sand might not be high on your list, but it’s up there thanks to our high demand for concrete. Scientists at Rice University have now shown that substituting graphene can not only save sand, but makes c… Continue reading Graphene replaces sand to make lighter, stronger concrete

Could Data Capture, Management Technologies Prevent Construction Quality Slippage in 2024?

Recent Australian residential construction industry failures revealed a pressing need for capturing, sharing and collaborating on construction project data across stakeholders in common data environments. Continue reading Could Data Capture, Management Technologies Prevent Construction Quality Slippage in 2024?

Heavy duty wheeled crane lifts turbine blades to nacelle 107 meters up

China’s Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group recently took its new XCA3000 wheeled crane to a wind farm in the Liaoning Province to lift a 25-ton blade some 107 meters above the ground, before it was installed in the turbine hub.Continue ReadingCategory… Continue reading Heavy duty wheeled crane lifts turbine blades to nacelle 107 meters up

Self-healing concrete patches up cracks with dormant bacteria

Concrete may seem strong and permanent, but it can be surprisingly vulnerable to the elements. Now researchers at Drexel University have demonstrated a type of self-healing concrete embedded with “BioFibers” that use bacteria to patch up cracks as they… Continue reading Self-healing concrete patches up cracks with dormant bacteria

Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

To build or maintain today’s colossal wind turbine towers, you either need an absolute monster of a crane – or something like this. The KoalaLifter self-climbing crane is quick, compact, handles heavy loads and creeps up turbine towers of any height.Co… Continue reading Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

To build or maintain today’s colossal wind turbine towers, you either need an absolute monster of a crane – or something like this. The KoalaLifter self-climbing crane is quick, compact, handles heavy loads and creeps up turbine towers of any height.Co… Continue reading Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

Bricklaying robots can now build tennis-court-sized walls in 4 hours

The extraordinary Hadrian X bricklaying robot rocks up to a building site looking like a regular truck, then extends a 32-m (105-ft) boom arm and starts precisely laying up to 300 large masonry blocks an hour. It’s pretty remarkable to watch.Continue R… Continue reading Bricklaying robots can now build tennis-court-sized walls in 4 hours