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Special Issue Sponsored by: Special Issue: Robotics in Tall Building Construction Research Report: The Future of Robotic Construction An Innovative Construction Elevator Ecosystem Robots Replacing Half of Construction Workers by 2060? Intelligent 3-D Elevator Shaft Mapping Tall Buildings Year in Review 2020: Effect of COVID-19 CTBUH Journal International Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Advancing Sustainable Vertical Urbanism | 2021 Issue I
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About the Council

ISSN: 1946 - 1186

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is the world’s leading non-profi t organization for all those interested in the future of cities. It explores how increased urban density and vertical growth can support more sustainable and healthy cities, especially in the face of mass urbanization and the increasing eff ects of climate change worldwide.

Founded in the USA in 1969, the CTBUH member network embraces more than a million professionals working in all building industry sectors in almost all countries of the world. With offi ces in Chicago, Shanghai, and Venice, the Council runs hundreds of multidisciplinary programs across the world each year, through its regional chapters and expert committees; its annual conferences and global awards program; through funded research projects and academic collaborations; and via its extensive online resources and physical outputs. The Council is perhaps best-known to the public as the arbiter of tall building height and the global authority that bestows titles such as “The World’s Tallest Building”. Operating on a global scale, the CTBUH serves as a platform for both cutting-edge information-share and business networking for all companies and professionals focused on the inception, design, construction, and operation of cities, and the buildings they comprise.

CTBUH Headquarters104 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 620 Chicago, IL 60603, USAPhone: +1 312 283 5599Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Asia HeadquartersCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP)Tongji University1239 Si Ping Road, Yangpu DistrictShanghai 200092, China Phone: +86 21 65982972Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Research Offi ceIuav University of Venice Dorsoduro 200630123 Venice, ItalyPhone: +39 041 257 1276 Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Academic Offi ceS. R. Crown HallIllinois Institute of Technology 3360 South State StreetChicago, IL 60616Phone: +1 312 283 5646Email: [email protected]

Special Issue Sponsored by:

Special Issue: Robotics in Tall Building Construction

Research Report: The Future of Robotic Construction

An Innovative Construction Elevator Ecosystem

Robots Replacing Half of Construction Workers by 2060?

Intelligent 3-D Elevator Shaft Mapping

Tall Buildings Year in Review 2020: Eff ect of COVID-19

CTBUH JournalInternational Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Advancing Sustainable Vertical Urbanism | 2021 Issue I

Inside | 3CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

“ The degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic directly affected the construction schedule of a tall building in 2020 was highly variable in relation to local regulations and the ability of the contractor to keep a sufficient number of workers on-site.”

Year in Review, page 40

News and Events

This Issue Daniel Safarik, Editor

CTBUH Latest Steve Watts, CTBUH Chairman, Partner, alinea Consulting

Debating Tall Robots to Take 50% of Construction Jobs?

Global News Highlights from the CTBUH Global News archive

02

04

05

06

Research

Construction Robotics: Current Approaches, Future ProspectsAlberto Balzan, Claudia Cabrera Aparicio & Dario Trabucco

Intelligent 3-D Elevator Shaft MappingChristian Studer, Raphael Bitzi & Philipp Zimmerli

Value Engineering of Barrette Foundations for Tall Buildings in the Middle EastSujatha Manoj, Deepankar Choudhury & Akash Sharma

Tall Buildings in 2020: COVID-19 Contributes to Dip in Year-On-Year CompletionsCTBUH Staff

12

22

30

40

Features

Tall Buildings in Numbers The Global Tall Building Picture: Impact of 2020

Talking Tall: Tim GokhmanAscending Timber Aspiration in Milwaukee

Ask a CTBUH Expert: Urs Püntener How Can an Innovative Elevator Ecosystem Speed Construction?

48

50

53

CTBUH

54

57

57

58

58

Inside

12

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48

CTBUH Event Report2020 Conference: The Post- Crisis City

Reviews Review of new books in the CTBUH Library

What’s on the CTBUH Web?

Meet the CTBUH Meghan McDermott

CTBUH Organizational Member Listing

48 | Tall Building in Numbers Tall Building in Numbers | 49CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

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100 Africa

Central America

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South America

Europe

Middle East

Asia

North America2020201020001990198019701960195019401930

North America

100 tallest buildings by region

South America Oceania Central America Africa

Asia Middle East Europe

3100 100 9892 91

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World’s Tallest 100: AnalysisA plurality of the world’s tallest 100 buildings are located in Asia, have a mix of uses, and employ composite structural systems.

Number of Buildings Entering the World’s 100 Tallest by YearA total of 14 buildings entered the 100 tallest list in 2020, down from 17 in 2019, and below the all-time record of 18 in 2011.

T.Op Torre 1 in Monterrey is Mexico’s fi rst supertall.

Mumbai and India got a new tallest building, World One, rising to 280 meters.

280 mNo buildings over 500 meters completed, the � rst time since 2014. 0

Tall Buildings in Numbers

The Global Tall Building Picture: Impact of 2020

New York City had the two tallest buildings to complete in 2020. One city has had the two tallest completions only 10 times in history.

The tall buildings completed in 2020 have pushed the global average height of the 100 tallest buildings to 399 meters. Across the year, 14 buildings entered the list of the world’s 100 tallest, down from 17 in 2019, but equal to the 2017 total. Prevailing trends in the tallest 100, towards the regional dominance of Asia and the prevalence of mixed-use function and composite construction, have continued.

200 m

250 m

300 m

350 m

400 m

2019 20202018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000

The a verage height of the 100 tallest buildings in existence around the world that yearThe average height of the 20 tallest 200-m+ buildings completed that year

The Average Height of the Tallest Buildings

World’s Tallest Building Completed Each Year Starting with the year 2005, these are the tallest buildings that have been completed globally each year.

100 m

800 m

400 m

500 m

600 m

700 m

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20122011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2019 20202017 20182005

200 m

300 m

Makkah Royal Clock Tower601 m / 1,972 ftMecca

One World Trade Center 541 m / 1,776 ftNew York City

Shanghai Tower 632 m / 2,073 ftShanghai

Burj Khalifa 828 m / 2,717 ftDubai

Trump International Hotel & Tower 423 m / 1,389 ftChicago

Shanghai World Financial Center 492 m / 1,614 ftShanghai

Q1 Tower 323 m / 1,058 ftGold Coast

Shimao International Plaza 333 m / 1,094 ftShanghai

JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai Tower 2 355 m / 1,166 ftDubai

Rose Rayhaanby Rotana 333 m / 1,093 ftDubai

Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre530 m / 1,739 ftGuangzhou

Ping An Finance Center 599 m / 1,965 ftShenzhen

CITIC Tower 528 m / 1,731 ftBeijing

Tianjin CTF Finance Centre530 m / 1,739 ftTianjin

KK100442 m / 1,449 ftShenzhen

Central Park Tower 472 m / 1,550 ftNew York City

The 20 tallest buildings to complete in 2020 are all supertalls, repeating 2019’s fi rst-time record.

300 m London completed four buildings over 200 meters in one year, for the fi rst time ever.

The average height of all 200-m+ buildings completed that year

4

22 | Construction Construction | 23CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Introduction

Elevator shafts are key structures in buildings. They essentially form one room, from the basement of a building up to the top. Elevators must be constructed in close conjunction with overall building erection. In spite of the large size and long construction time of the elevator shafts, they need to be within close geometric tolerances to allow for proper elevator installation.

First, elevator shafts need to be straight, in order to guarantee good elevator ride quality. Any kinks or curves in the elevator rails due to out-of-plumb shafts can lead to oscillations of the elevator car as it travels at high speed along the rails. Required tolerances in shaft straightness also include the positioning of the elevator shaft door openings, which must be all in line with each other.

Second, cross-sections of the elevator shaft must be made over its entire length to the admissible tolerances in order to assure the elevator fits. This is especially crucial, as today’s elevator systems maximize space utilization in elevator shafts, leaving only a small amount of room for adaptation to geometric irregularities.

Detecting tolerance issues in the elevator shaft during elevator installation leads to corrective actions on the construction site, namely the ordering of new shaft material or partial removal of concrete (see Figure 1). Advance knowledge of whether and where corrective actions must be scheduled is essential, in order to prevent potentially costly delays and disturbances on construction sites.

Special attention has to be paid at handover of the elevator shaft from the builder to the elevator company. Common practice today entails elevator companies making a rough manual measurement with plumb lines in the shaft and measuring the wall and door distances on each floor with respect to the plumb lines. This is an error-prone and time-consuming task that only allows spot checks in the shaft, and not a comprehensive measurement. This paper presents the latest research on how to obtain accurate 3-D models of the entire built elevator shaft, and how to digitally install the elevator model prior to physical installation, in order to detect any geometric tolerance issues.

State of the Art

Today 3-D laser scanning of buildings is a state-of-the-art practice. These widely available, but rather expensive scanners can be placed in a room and output a highly accurate 3-D model of the built geometry to millimeter tolerances. However, using these scanners in an elevator shaft is tricky, because the shaft is narrow horizontally and long vertically. To illustrate this, if a 3-D laser scanner is placed only in the elevator pit, the angle of reflection of the laser beams on the shaft walls becomes too small for accurate results as the height of the shaft increases. As a consequence, laser scans of the shaft would need to be made every few meters, and these scans would then need to be stitched together. In addition, laser scanners need a solid base during their scanning, i.e., scaffolds would need to be installed in the shaft every few meters, which is not practical with today’s scaffold-less progressive elevator installation processes.

Another state-of-the-art real-world imaging technology is the mapping of landscapes by drones. Drone-derived images are stitched together and converted into models, making a three-dimensional landscape based on

global positioning system (GPS) information. However, this cannot be easily translated to elevator shafts, as GPS positions are not available in buildings, and thus the position of the drone and associated camera must be otherwise obtained.

Today there are also many applications of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, such as in smartphone-based room measurement apps and autonomous vehicle navigation, as well as in robotics applications. However, most SLAM positioning systems dependent on consumer hardware do not usually deliver sufficient position accuracy required for elevator shaft mapping. Therefore, special attention has to be paid to fine-tune SLAM to application use cases, in order to achieve suitable measurement accuracy. Elevator Shaft Scanning

The following outlines a new prototype-stage camera-based measurement system for elevator shaft measurement. The application of the system consists of the following steps:

1. A multiple-camera system is moved along the elevator shaft by a drone or a winch as it continuously takes images.

2. The camera images are transformed into a 3-D point-cloud model of the elevator shaft.

3. An algorithm automatically detects the elevator shaft door openings in the 3-D model and creates virtual reference lines.

4. Based on the virtual reference lines, the elevator rails and brackets are virtually placed in the shaft. By doing so, it can be automatically checked whether all brackets and shaft doors can be mounted within the given tolerances.

Each step is further explained in detail below.

Step 1: Camera Imaging of the Shaft The system consists of four time-synchronized cameras, which can take images with a frame rate of 10 Hz and resolution of 1.6 megapixels. In addition, the system has an onboard inertial measurement unit (IMU) which measures linear acceleration as well as angular velocity. A picture of the camera system is shown in Figure 2. The camera system is moved up and down the shaft with a small winch and a rope, as it continuously makes

Intelligent 3-D Elevator Shaft Mapping

Construction

Authors

Christian Studer, PhD, Head, New Technologies Raphael Bitzi, New Technologies Team Member Philipp Zimmerli, New Technologies Team Member Schindler Elevators Ltd. Zugerstrasse 13 6030 Ebikon Switzerland t: +41 414454830 f: +41 414454830 e: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Christian Studer studied civil engineering and holds a PhD in multibody dynamics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). He has held various positions on Schindler’s innovation teams, including as technology expert to the Solar Impulse mission, the first around-the-world trip with a solar airplane. Today he is the head of Schindler’s New Technologies department, which develops breakthrough innovations for the vertical transportation industry. Raphael Bitzi has a master’s degree in robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). Since 2011 he has worked for the Schindler New Technologies Team, developing and industrializing robotic installation systems and camera-based measurement and localization devices. Philipp Zimmerli studied mechanical engineering at the FHNW Windisch. He worked in various engineering consulting companies for many years, before he started in Schindler’s New Technologies department in 2013. With his deep mechanical background, he supports the team on several projects.

Christian Studer

Abstract

Laser and camera scanning, as well as mapping solutions, are increasingly used to create accurate 3-D models of the built environment. This paper presents a prototype of an intelligent camera system for automated elevator shaft scanning and mapping. It aims at assessing whether elevator shafts are built within admissible tolerances. The system works in four steps. First, time-synchronized cameras with a 360-degree view are lifted within the shaft by a small rope winch or a drone. In the second step, a precise digital 3-D model of the built elevator shaft is derived from the camera images. In the third step, the positions of the shaft door openings are identified in the 3-D model, by using computer analysis. In the fourth step, the digital elevator CAD model is placed into the real shaft 3-D model, based on the positions of the door openings. Using this system the elevator can be digitally installed, prior to the start of physical installation.

Keywords: Construction, Digital Twin, ImagingPhilipp ZimmerliRaphael Bitzi

Figure 1. Corrective action at elevator wall bracket, due to shaft walls being out of tolerance.

Figure 2. Camera unit consisting of four cameras, LED lighting system, and a computer for data processing.

12 | CTBUH Research CTBUH Research | 13CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Approaches to Robotic Technologies in the Building Industry

Robotization of Traditional Construction Procedures Two main tendencies regarding the approach to robotics in construction were explored, through different stages of development and adoption by the sector, following diverse rationales. There is a more “classical” interpretation of “robotization” of conventional construction procedures, whose principle is to execute traditional construction operations with robotic mechanisms (see Figure 1). These devices perform the same tasks as human workers, either replacing or complementing them in

Abstract

In recent years, robotics has entered strongly in a large number of industrial sectors, especially the automotive, manufacturing, aeronautical and agriculture sectors, having a major impact on industrial, labor and technological policies, as well as within the development dynamics of each sector’s products. The construction sector is one of the largest global industries, but it is still considered a low-tech and disjointed environment. It is clear that the new phase of construction robotics now dawning defies conventional interpretations and comparisons to similar industries. A reshaping and clarification of concepts, incorporating a much more flexible understanding of the term “robot”, as well as a clear classification and formulation of its future potential, is a crucial step to responding to current innovations and adapting them to the construction sector’s needs. The research underlying this paper seeks to provide an extensive framework of the relationship between the building and robotic industries, as well as to investigate the possible role of robotics in the improvement of the building sector in the near future.

Keywords: Construction, Robotics

the performance of dull and physically demanding activities. Within this framework, the trend for the first line of development has shifted from a first stage, in which the objective was merely the repetition of construction-related tasks, to the current trend of pursuing the manufacturing of devices with an ever-increasing level of self-sufficiency. These devices are able to collect and process data in order to increase their adaptability to the context within which they operate, and are thus able to operate uninterrupted. For collaborative robots, intended to work alongside human workers, the required degree of sophistication is related not so much to self-sufficiency as to safety and

communication issues surrounding the machine-human interaction. Their effectiveness would, in this case, be enhanced by implementing gestures and natural speech translation mechanisms, for instance.

Digital Fabrication The second approach is based on the generation of construction processes intended to be carried out by robots exclusively, unlocking new design and building options, conceiving innovative manufacturing techniques, and thus revolutionizing the entire construction industry. Indeed, according to several experts, such as the CEO of Scaled Robotics Stuart Maggs, robots should be exploited to undertake purposes other than traditional building operations based on human capacities (Davies, et al. 2019). In this line of thought, robots should avoid imitating conventional tasks, as well as the use of tools and materials that have been developed and adapted for human operation.

As argued by Prof. Fabio Gramazio of ETH Zürich (F. Gramazio, personal communication, 6 May, 2020), such a new commitment would not seek to improve the construction industry by reducing costs, but rather becomes strictly related to creating new architectural typologies and supporting sustainability. In this framework, the novel approach would be intended to solve the problem of increased costs implied in the realization of optimized architecture. Shajay Bhooshan, senior associate at Zaha Hadid Architects and co-founder of CODE, the computational design research group, affirms that the multidisciplinary opportunities granted by digital fabrication processes allow the realization of high-performing structures with complex, optimized geometries driven by material savings, as well as improved structural efficiency and environmental performance (Bhooshan, personal communication, 3 April, 2020). Despite the lack of practical examples of digital fabrication applications in complex

architectural projects, several pavilions and installations have been designed and built, demonstrating the potential of such digital processes (see Figure 2). Changes Driven by Robotic Construction

Considerations and Impacts on Building-Related Professions Opinions diverge on the future of robotics in relation to its impact on jobs, accentuated by the recent inclusion of digital fabrication processes into building sites. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) argues that processes have been automated for centuries (i.e., the introduction of self-driven machines or advanced grain mills), changes have been absorbed and jobs have evolved, which is not to say the fear of workers being replaced and certain professions’ extinction is unjustified (IFR 2018). These occupations have undergone different transformations; some have indeed

Construction Robotics: Current Approaches, Future Prospects

CTBUH Research

Dario Trabucco

Authors

Alberto Balzan, Research Assistant Claudia Cabrera Aparicio, Research Assistant Dario Trabucco, Research Manager Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Research Office, Iuav University of Venice Dorsoduro 2206 Venice, 30123 Italy t: +39 041 257 1276 e: [email protected] CTBUH.org

Alberto Balzan is a licensed architect who graduated with honors from the Università Iuav di Venezia in 2017, after a study experience at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago. His thesis was focused on the potentialities of smart dynamic façades. Passionate about technology and innovation, Balzan is currently working for the CTBUH Research Office at the Università Iuav di Venezia, where he is also teaching-collaborator of Professor Dario Trabucco on the courses of Building Elements and Architectural Technology. Claudia Cabrera Aparicio is an architect and research assistant at the CTBUH Research Office at the Iuav University in Venice. She received her Bachelor and Master’s in Architecture degrees from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, School of Architecture (ETSAM) in 2018, and studied under exchange programs and scholarships, at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna in 2015, and at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago from 2015–2016. Dario Trabucco, PhD, is CTBUH Research Manager and researcher at the IUAV University of Venice, Italy. He is involved in teaching and research activities related to tall buildings, including the LCA analysis of tall buildings, service core design and issues pertaining to the renovation/refurbishment of tall buildings. In 2009 he obtained a PhD in building technology with a thesis entitled “The Strategic Role of the Service Core in the Energy Balance of a Tall Building.”

Alberto Balzan

Claudia Cabrera Aparicio

This paper summarizes the results of the CTBUH Research project Robotics in Construction, kindly sponsored by Schindler. The full results can be found in the CTBUH Research Report: Robotics in Tall Building Construction: New Frontiers in Fabrication and Automation.

See advertisement on page 39 for details.

Figure 1. Robotization of traditional construction operations can extend to structural assembly (upper left), repetitive behaviors such as tiling (upper right) and plastering (lower left), and inspection of dangerous or combined environments, one possible use of Spot (lower right). This terrestrial robot has the ability to autonomously navigate its environment, carry inspection equipment, and collect crucial data. © Top left: ETH Zürich; Top right: Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zürich; Bottom left: Okibo; Bottom right: Web Summit (cc by-sa)

6 | Global News CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Visit the daily-updated online resource for all the latest news on tall buildings, urban development, and sustainable construction from around the world at: ctbuh.org/global-news

Missoni Baia, Miami. © Golden Dusk Photography

Global News

Americas

Chicago’s Cascade, a 130-meter residential tower, has officially topped out. Part of the larger Lakeshore East development, the multifamily building will hold 503 units and offer access to the new Cascade Park. Nearby in the Midwest region, the 155-meter Couture residential project received its final financing approval in Milwaukee, setting the stage for it to begin construction in early 2021. On the East Coast, in New York City, 22 Chapel Street, a 74-meter reinforced concrete residential tower, has topped out in Brooklyn. Of the building’s 180 units, 25 will be designated affordable housing.

From the Southeast to the Southwest, the lower region of the United States has seen a flurry of activity. Amid a general proliferation of high-rises in Charlotte, another uptown tower has progressed. FNB Tower, a residential and office building, has topped out at 29 stories. Nearby, the 17-story Two Legacy Union has also topped out, and the

23-story Honeywell Tower and 40-story Duke Energy buildings are progressing. To the west in Tennessee, a 30-story skyscraper has been proposed for Memphis’ Pinch District at 369-371 North Main Street. The project’s programming would potentially include retail, hotel, and residential uses.

One West Palm, a twin-tower complex in West Palm Beach, has resumed construction after a pause earlier in 2020, with a planned completion date sometime in the summer of 2022. Further south in Florida, the luxury Miami high-rise Missoni Baia has reached the halfway point on its ascent to a planned 198 meters. The residential tower will feature 249 one-to-five-bedroom units, with interiors designed by the legendary luxury Italian brand, Missoni. Public spaces and amenity areas within the development will also be designed by the fashion house. Also in Miami, Downtown 5th, a multifamily twin-tower complex, has made strides toward completion, with the topping off of both its east and west towers at 52 stories.

High-rise activity continues to be robust in Texas. In Dallas, One Newpark is the phase-one anchor of Newpark Dallas, a new “smart district” coming to the southern end of the city’s downtown. The mixed-use building will rise 38 stories, featuring a dramatic void in its center. In total, Newpark Dallas will deliver more than 92,903 square meters of Class-A office space, 18,580 square meters of urban retail space, thousands of residential units, and a proposed educational campus comprising up to 92,903 square meters. Elsewhere in the city, Dallas’ first JW Marriott has broken ground, and is planned to deliver 283 luxury hotel rooms by 2022.

Over on the West Coast, the iconic Transamerica Pyramid Center in San Francisco has been sold, cementing what is being called the largest commercial real-estate transaction to take place since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The 260-meter pyramidal building rising prominently in the city’s financial district was sold for US$650 million, to a joint real-estate and finance venture.

Transamerica Pyramid Center, San Francisco. © Tony Webster (cc by-sa)

12 | CTBUH Research CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Approaches to Robotic Technologies in the Building Industry

Robotization of Traditional Construction Procedures Two main tendencies regarding the approach to robotics in construction were explored, through different stages of development and adoption by the sector, following diverse rationales. There is a more “classical” interpretation of “robotization” of conventional construction procedures, whose principle is to execute traditional construction operations with robotic mechanisms (see Figure 1). These devices perform the same tasks as human workers, either replacing or complementing them in

Abstract

In recent years, robotics has entered strongly in a large number of industrial sectors, especially the automotive, manufacturing, aeronautical and agriculture sectors, having a major impact on industrial, labor and technological policies, as well as within the development dynamics of each sector’s products. The construction sector is one of the largest global industries, but it is still considered a low-tech and disjointed environment. It is clear that the new phase of construction robotics now dawning defies conventional interpretations and comparisons to similar industries. A reshaping and clarification of concepts, incorporating a much more flexible understanding of the term “robot”, as well as a clear classification and formulation of its future potential, is a crucial step to responding to current innovations and adapting them to the construction sector’s needs. The research underlying this paper seeks to provide an extensive framework of the relationship between the building and robotic industries, as well as to investigate the possible role of robotics in the improvement of the building sector in the near future.

Keywords: Construction, Robotics

the performance of dull and physically demanding activities. Within this framework, the trend for the first line of development has shifted from a first stage, in which the objective was merely the repetition of construction-related tasks, to the current trend of pursuing the manufacturing of devices with an ever-increasing level of self-sufficiency. These devices are able to collect and process data in order to increase their adaptability to the context within which they operate, and are thus able to operate uninterrupted. For collaborative robots, intended to work alongside human workers, the required degree of sophistication is related not so much to self-sufficiency as to safety and

Construction Robotics: Current Approaches, Future Prospects

CTBUH Research

Dario Trabucco

Authors

Alberto Balzan, Research Assistant Claudia Cabrera Aparicio, Research Assistant Dario Trabucco, Research Manager Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Research Office, Iuav University of Venice Dorsoduro 2206 Venice, 30123 Italy t: +39 041 257 1276 e: [email protected] CTBUH.org

Alberto Balzan is a licensed architect who graduated with honors from the Università Iuav di Venezia in 2017, after a study experience at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago. His thesis was focused on the potentialities of smart dynamic façades. Passionate about technology and innovation, Balzan is currently working for the CTBUH Research Office at the Università Iuav di Venezia, where he is also teaching-collaborator of Professor Dario Trabucco on the courses of Building Elements and Architectural Technology. Claudia Cabrera Aparicio is an architect and research assistant at the CTBUH Research Office at the Iuav University in Venice. She received her Bachelor and Master’s in Architecture degrees from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, School of Architecture (ETSAM) in 2018, and studied under exchange programs and scholarships, at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna in 2015, and at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago from 2015–2016. Dario Trabucco, PhD, is CTBUH Research Manager and researcher at the IUAV University of Venice, Italy. He is involved in teaching and research activities related to tall buildings, including the LCA analysis of tall buildings, service core design and issues pertaining to the renovation/refurbishment of tall buildings. In 2009 he obtained a PhD in building technology with a thesis entitled “The Strategic Role of the Service Core in the Energy Balance of a Tall Building.”

Alberto Balzan

Claudia Cabrera Aparicio

This paper summarizes the results of the CTBUH Research project Robotics in Construction, kindly sponsored by Schindler. The full results can be found in the CTBUH Research Report: Robotics in Tall Building Construction: New Frontiers in Fabrication and Automation.

See advertisement on page 39 for details.

22 | Construction CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Introduction

Elevator shafts are key structures in buildings. They essentially form one room, from the basement of a building up to the top. Elevators must be constructed in close conjunction with overall building erection. In spite of the large size and long construction time of the elevator shafts, they need to be within close geometric tolerances to allow for proper elevator installation.

First, elevator shafts need to be straight, in order to guarantee good elevator ride quality. Any kinks or curves in the elevator rails due to out-of-plumb shafts can lead to oscillations of the elevator car as it travels at high speed along the rails. Required tolerances in shaft straightness also include the positioning of the elevator shaft door openings, which must be all in line with each other.

Second, cross-sections of the elevator shaft must be made over its entire length to the admissible tolerances in order to assure the elevator fits. This is especially crucial, as today’s elevator systems maximize space utilization in elevator shafts, leaving only a small amount of room for adaptation to geometric irregularities.

Detecting tolerance issues in the elevator shaft during elevator installation leads to corrective actions on the construction site, namely the ordering of new shaft material or partial removal of concrete (see Figure 1). Advance knowledge of whether and where corrective actions must be scheduled is essential, in order to prevent potentially costly delays and disturbances on construction sites.

Special attention has to be paid at handover of the elevator shaft from the builder to the elevator company. Common practice today entails elevator companies making a rough manual measurement with plumb lines in the shaft and measuring the wall and door distances on each floor with respect to the plumb lines. This is an error-prone and time-consuming task that only allows spot checks in the shaft, and not a comprehensive measurement. This paper presents the latest research on how to obtain accurate 3-D models of the entire built elevator shaft, and how to digitally install the elevator model prior to physical installation, in order to detect any geometric tolerance issues.

Intelligent 3-D Elevator Shaft Mapping

Construction

Authors

Christian Studer, PhD, Head, New Technologies Raphael Bitzi, New Technologies Team Member Philipp Zimmerli, New Technologies Team Member Schindler Elevators Ltd. Zugerstrasse 13 6030 Ebikon Switzerland t: +41 414454830 f: +41 414454830 e: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Christian Studer studied civil engineering and holds a PhD in multibody dynamics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). He has held various positions on Schindler’s innovation teams, including as technology expert to the Solar Impulse mission, the first around-the-world trip with a solar airplane. Today he is the head of Schindler’s New Technologies department, which develops breakthrough innovations for the vertical transportation industry. Raphael Bitzi has a master’s degree in robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). Since 2011 he has worked for the Schindler New Technologies Team, developing and industrializing robotic installation systems and camera-based measurement and localization devices. Philipp Zimmerli studied mechanical engineering at the FHNW Windisch. He worked in various engineering consulting companies for many years, before he started in Schindler’s New Technologies department in 2013. With his deep mechanical background, he supports the team on several projects.

Christian Studer

Abstract

Laser and camera scanning, as well as mapping solutions, are increasingly used to create accurate 3-D models of the built environment. This paper presents a prototype of an intelligent camera system for automated elevator shaft scanning and mapping. It aims at assessing whether elevator shafts are built within admissible tolerances. The system works in four steps. First, time-synchronized cameras with a 360-degree view are lifted within the shaft by a small rope winch or a drone. In the second step, a precise digital 3-D model of the built elevator shaft is derived from the camera images. In the third step, the positions of the shaft door openings are identified in the 3-D model, by using computer analysis. In the fourth step, the digital elevator CAD model is placed into the real shaft 3-D model, based on the positions of the door openings. Using this system the elevator can be digitally installed, prior to the start of physical installation.

Keywords: Construction, Digital Twin, ImagingPhilipp ZimmerliRaphael Bitzi

30 | Geotechnical Engineering CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Introduction

Rapid urbanization in recent decades resulted in a tremendous increase in the rate at which supertall towers (with a height of 300 meters or greater) are being constructed around the world (CTBUH 2020). Globally, the embodied carbon of a buildings account for about 11 percent of emissions. There is also an ever-increasing need for resource optimization, ensuring minimum carbon footprint with environmentally friendly and sustainable design and construction methods, which challenges civil engineers to go beyond the traditional and typical conservative design and testing methods, pushing them to evolve and adopt more innovative and optimized design solutions.

Value engineering and design optimization of tall and supertall tower foundations in weak rock formations and recommendations for future designs are discussed in this paper. Dubai ranks number 4 in the world as of 2020 in terms of the number of buildings of more than 150

Abstract

Large-diameter piles and barrettes are the two most common foundation types for tall buildings in the Middle East region, where ground conditions are challenging due to the presence of weak carbonate rocks. Barrettes are a better alternative when heavy foundation loads need to be transferred through limited base areas, as they offer greater contact area, generating increased friction for the same volume of concrete thus, giving significant savings. The advent of Osterberg Cell (O-Cell) testing made it possible to fully test high-capacity barrettes. In this paper, the design of barrette foundations are compared to piles, with settlement predictions using geophysics data compared to O-Cell observations. Based on foundation design and value engineering using O-Cell test results of a tall building project in Business Bay where a saving of 11 percent barrette length resulted in reducing carbon emissions by about 4770 MT, foundation designs of several tall buildings in Dubai are reviewed, and recommendations are provided for optimized design and realistic settlement predictions for future tall buildings, which will help save construction-related resources and reduce carbon footprint.

Keywords: Barrettes, Geotechnical Engineering, O-Cell Tests, Piles

meters’ height (CTBUH 2020); therefore, a discussion focusing on the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) geology is considered relevant. Figure 1 presents La Maison, a 320-meter residential building under construction in Dubai, the subject property in this research.

The supertall towers constructed in the Middle East region are typically supported by deep piles or barrettes, socketed in to weak and weathered carbonate rocks, whose strength and stiffness do not necessarily improve with depth (Poulos 2009, 2010, 2017; Poulos and Badelow 2015; Katzenbach, Leppla & Choudhury 2016). In this paper, foundation design for a tower using barrette foundations is compared with equivalent-diameter piles, to demonstrate that barrettes are an efficient alternative to bored cast-in-situ deep foundations, which efficiently transfer the heavy foundation loads of supertall towers to the ground. Value engineering using Osterberg cell (O-Cell) test results on barrettes and settlement prediction derived from cross-hole seismic tests are discussed

Value Engineering of Barrette Foundations For Tall Buildings in the Middle East

Geotechnical Engineering

Authors

Sujatha Manoj, Technical Director Mott MacDonald Group 152 Beach Road, #35-00 Gateway East Singapore 189721 Singapore t: +65 82069695 e: [email protected] mottmac.com Deepankar Choudhury, Institute Chair Professor Department of Civil Engineering Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay Room No. 131, Civil Engineering Building Mumbai 400 076 India t: +91-22-2576 7335 e: [email protected] civil.iitb.ac.in Akash Sharma, Geotechnical Engineer Fugro Swiss Tower, Office No. 1102, Plot No. Y3 Dubai United Arab Emirates t: +971 4421 4922 e: [email protected] fugro.com

Sujatha Manoj, PhD is Technical Director at Mott MacDonald, Singapore. She worked as Engineering Manager heading Fugro UAE team, and has been Senior Engineer with Nakheel, and Engineering Manager at Parsons, Abu Dhabi. She has 26 years of experience, with 14 years in the Middle East. Her specialization includes site characterization and foundation design, ground improvement, and ground risk assessment. She is involved in design of several tall tower foundations in Dubai. Deepankar Choudhury is the Institute Chair professor at IIT Bombay. He is also an adjunct professor in the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi. Choudhury is also is co-author of the book Foundation System for High-Rise Structures, released in 2017, and a visiting fellow/faculty at NUS, Singapore; UoW, Australia; UC Berkeley, USA; Kagoshima University, Japan; TU Darmstadt, Germany; and Incheon National University, South Korea. Akash Sharma is a geotechnical engineer with Fugro Dubai, and an expert in numerical modeling. He has extensive experience in design and modeling tall tower foundations. He has specialized experience with the application of numerical modeling to geotechnical engineering analysis, which includes soil structure interaction for foundation design in tall buildings, slope stability, shoring design, consolidation analysis, calibration of field test data, and deep and shallow foundations. He has also worked with advanced software solution providers and gained extensive experience in numerical modeling of geotechnical problems. He has been conducting seminars and technical presentations in the Middle East and Africa region.

40 | CTBUH Year in Review CTBUH Journal | 2021 Issue I

Introduction

For many people, 2020 will be remembered as the year that nothing went to plan. The same can be said for the tall building industry. As a global pandemic took hold in the first quarter, numerous projects around the world, at various stages, ground to a halt as restrictions on assembly came into force. It is therefore not surprising that 2020 yielded 106 completions of buildings 200 meters and taller, a 20 percent decline from 133 in 2019, and nearing a level last seen in 2014, when 105 such buildings were constructed (see Figure 1).

Tall Buildings in 2020: COVID-19 Contributes To Dip in Year-On-Year Completions

CTBUH Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2020

Abstract

In 2020, the tall building industry constructed 106 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater, a 20 percent decline from 2019, when 133 such buildings were completed.* The decline can be partly attributed to work stoppages and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report provides analysis and commentary on global and regional trends underway during an eventful year.

Note: Please refer to Tall Buildings in Numbers—The Global Tall Building Picture: Impact of 2020 in conjunction with this paper, pages 48–49.

*The study sets a minimum threshold of 200 meters’ height because of the completeness of data available on buildings of that height.

Keywords: Construction, COVID-19, Development, Height, Hotel, Megatall, Mixed-Use, Office, Residential, Supertall

This is the second year in a row in which the completion figure declined. In 2019, the reasons for this were varied, though the change in the tall building climate in China, with public policy statements against needless production of exceedingly tall buildings, constituted a strong factor that has persisted into 2020.

The tallest building to complete in 2020 was Central Park Tower in New York City, at 472 meters. This is the first time in five years in which the tallest completed building was not in China, and the first time since 2014, when One World Trade

Center (New York City) completed, that the tallest building of the year was in the United States.

This is also the first year since 2014 in which there has not been at least one building taller than 500 meters completed. Effects of COVID-19

As with most other enterprises, the degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic directly affected the construction schedule of a tall building in 2020 was highly variable in relation to local regulations and the ability of the contractor to keep a sufficient number of workers on-site. CTBUH is anecdotally aware of nine projects across Malaysia, India and Brazil whose completion schedules were pushed into 2021 as a direct consequence of COVID-19. There were mandated work stoppages in cities such as New York and San Francisco, though these could not be traced to any specific delays. As tall buildings are often lagging economic indicators, any chilling effect that economic conditions or work interruptions may have had on new project starts, or projects that were under construction in 2020 and were scheduled to be completed in 2021 or later, remains to be seen. It must be remembered, the economic crisis of 2008 was not reflected

Research Project Kindly Sponsored by: Schindler

“There were 106 completions of 200-meter-plus buildings, a 20 percent decline from 2019, and nearing a level last seen in 2014, when 105 such buildings were constructed.This is the second year in a row in which the completion figure declined.”

About the Council

ISSN: 1946 - 1186

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is the world’s leading non-profi t organization for all those interested in the future of cities. It explores how increased urban density and vertical growth can support more sustainable and healthy cities, especially in the face of mass urbanization and the increasing eff ects of climate change worldwide.

Founded in the USA in 1969, the CTBUH member network embraces more than a million professionals working in all building industry sectors in almost all countries of the world. With offi ces in Chicago, Shanghai, and Venice, the Council runs hundreds of multidisciplinary programs across the world each year, through its regional chapters and expert committees; its annual conferences and global awards program; through funded research projects and academic collaborations; and via its extensive online resources and physical outputs. The Council is perhaps best-known to the public as the arbiter of tall building height and the global authority that bestows titles such as “The World’s Tallest Building”. Operating on a global scale, the CTBUH serves as a platform for both cutting-edge information-share and business networking for all companies and professionals focused on the inception, design, construction, and operation of cities, and the buildings they comprise.

CTBUH Headquarters104 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 620 Chicago, IL 60603, USAPhone: +1 312 283 5599Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Asia HeadquartersCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP)Tongji University1239 Si Ping Road, Yangpu DistrictShanghai 200092, China Phone: +86 21 65982972Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Research Offi ceIuav University of Venice Dorsoduro 200630123 Venice, ItalyPhone: +39 041 257 1276 Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Academic Offi ceS. R. Crown HallIllinois Institute of Technology 3360 South State StreetChicago, IL 60616Phone: +1 312 283 5646Email: [email protected]

Special Issue Sponsored by:

Special Issue: Robotics in Tall Building Construction

Research Report: The Future of Robotic Construction

An Innovative Construction Elevator Ecosystem

Robots Replacing Half of Construction Workers by 2060?

Intelligent 3-D Elevator Shaft Mapping

Tall Buildings Year in Review 2020: Eff ect of COVID-19

CTBUH JournalInternational Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Advancing Sustainable Vertical Urbanism | 2021 Issue I


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