Fitted with hydraulic breakers and other attachments, track-based, electrically powered demolition robots can venture into interiors, hazardous environments and confined spaces to dismantle floors, ceilings and wall slabs, keeping workers out of the way of falling concrete and other dangers.
Demolition robots, which are free from the emissions issues associated with diesel and propane motors, can be used safely in buildings that are still occupied and operational.
Today’s demolition robots do not trace their technological origins to dank laboratories or outer space; in fact, their roots go back to Scandinavia. Mike Martin, director of North American sales for Swedish manufacturer Brokk, which pioneered demolition robots in the early 1980s, says worker safety has been the decisive factor in product development.
“Swedish workers were required by law to limit their time on jackhammers to prevent nerve damage and other vibration-related injuries,” Martin explains. “Robots helped contractors across Europe address that issue—along with the worksite hazards—and increase their productivity.”
Excerpt from Demolition Robots Break New Ground. Article by Jim Parsons, for Engineering News Record
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