Robots open a path to sustainable construction
When the doors to the Boola Katitjin building opened at Murdoch University’s campus this February, it was a triumph for sustainable construction given its status as the largest mass engineered timber (MET) building in Western Australia.
The building, whose name means “lots of learning” in the traditional Noongar language, also incorporated a world-first technological innovation involving the use of a robot to install screw fixings during construction – a step that has the potential to change how buildings are designed and how construction sites operate.
Boola Katitjin, Western Australia’s largest mass engineered timber building, on Murdoch University’s campus.
Engineering consultant Aurecon came up with the idea after Murdoch University asked for a timber building to expand its campus but also wanted to use the capital works project as a vehicle for innovation.
Aurecon has won the Professional Services category of the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies 2023 for the project.
Pratik Shrestha, the Aurecon structural engineer leading the project, says Murdoch University’s aim to embed innovation was a key driver, but so was the desire to boost the use of timber, which he calls a sustainable alternative to the much more carbon intensive concrete and steel.
“Currently timber construction does attract a cost premium. We were hoping that through the use of robotics, we could bring down that cost point through the speed of construction,” he said.
Aurecon brought in experts from the University of Technology Sydney to design a robot that could deliver 300-400 millimetre screw fixings by following an Ikea-like set of instructions. After months of developing models and lab trials during COVID, a physical prototype was finally
Read more on afr.com
