Advanced Construction Robotics launches rebar lifting robot

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Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR) launched a robot that can lift, carry and place rebar called IronBOT.

The robot, which is ACR’s second product offering, can lift up to 5,000-lb bundles of rebar in a transverse or longitudinal orientation without needing any heavy lifting from crew members. 

IronBOT can work alongside ACR’s first robot, TyBOT, which can self-tie horizontal rebar intersections. TyBOT has an active tie rate of over 1,100 ties and hour. 

IronBOT completed its inaugural project alongside TyBOT in February on the Port St. Lucie West Boulevard Bridge in Port St. Lucie, FL. The robots completed the project alongside Shelby Erectors, a construction company that specializes in building bridges. 

The team originally estimated that rebar installation would take 14 days, but when augmenting Shelby’s crew with the BOT bundle the same amount of work took only seven days. During the pilot project, IronBOT places 147,032 lb of rebar, and TyBOT completed 58,068 ties over 6.5 production shifts. 

“We were excited to be able to have IronBOT and TyBOT work together alongside our crews on this project. We were impressed that we could slash our rebar installation schedule in half. We are actively looking for new projects to incorporate the BOT Bundle in our operations,” Jack Nix, COO of Shelby Erectors, Inc, said.

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“We are confident the combination of TyBOT and IronBOT generates a disruptive technology, meaning the time and cost savings are so significant on a job that it will disrupt the way our industry installs reinforcing steel,” Stephen Muck, Founder and Executive Chairman of Advanced Construction Robotics, said.

ACR also announced that Brayman Construction and Advantage Steel & Construction are the only contractors certified to provide the BOT Bundle solution as part of the company’s new Certified Innovator Program. ACR’s Certified Innovators have dedicated crews that have gone through hands-on training on how to optimize operations alongside the BOT Bundle and incorporate the technology in their installation pricing.