Innovative Construction Project of Saudi Aramco Paper Example

Introduction

Saudi Aramco has been making efforts to expand its oil mining projects in the local market and the international sphere (Saudi Aramco, 2019). To perfect its operations, it has upgraded the equipment that it has and also made plans to improve the infrastructure that the types of equipment are run on. To do this, it has contracted a Europe based company that will spearhead the construction projects and ensure that the right infrastructure is in place to run the equipments. The company contracted to set up the reinforcement bars; group J robotics will make use of the latest robotic technology to complete the task. Lean management techniques will be highly used by the company to complete the task. Essentially, the text will give a detailed project description to help outsiders get an understanding of what the company does.

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The Project Description

Aims of the Project

The project aims to upgrade the process of tying Reinforcement bars at the pavement construction; this is to be accomplished by the use of dynamic robotic technology. A new innovative technology known as the Tybot will be used for the projects. The Tybot is a robot that makes use of artificial intelligence to tie the rebar and therefore help in the reinforcement of steel. In the project, it will be possible to monitor the whole process by making use of drones updating the happenings in real time and therefore keeping the team up to date with the happenings on the ground (Bogue, 2018). With the robotic system in place, it will be possible to bring down the time spend while tying a section to just under 5.5 seconds, therefore increasing the overall production by 29%; a move that is unprecedented in the pavement construction industry. Robotic drones, the Tybot, and artificial intelligence will be instrumental in ensuring the success of the project.

SMART Goals

By the end of the project, there will be increased productivity, more safety, better quality products, reduced cost and time savings. The specific aim of the projects is to meet the SMART objectives through the robotic system.

Productivity

The Tybot reduces the length of time spend tying a section meaning that more sections will be tied during a given duration. The overall production is expected to be improved by 29%.

Safety

Accidents will be reduced since the robot does most of the work; basically, the role of the humans will be to hold the steel rods in place while the Tybot does the most of the work. In this case, the human presence at the construction site will be reduced by 50%; the level of human exposure will also be reduced by 50% throughout the project. Both of the aspects are applicable at all stages of the pavement construction project.

Quality

The quality of the pavement relies on the foundation, with the Tybot; the tie strength will be higher as compared to a human, translating to higher quality. The quality standards of the project will be implemented by 99.9%, close to perfection.

Cost and Time Reduction

Since the Tybot is not affected by issues such as weather or time of the day, it can produce more tie length meaning lower cost and savings on time. In this, the labor cost will be brought down by 15%. Other benefits such as visa, accommodation, transportation, insurance, and tickets for the workers will be lowered by 25%. In overall, Tybot will lower the time spend by 33% based on its ability to handle the task 24/7 with a stable speed of 5.5 seconds per intersection of the steel mat.

Determining Success of the Project

The success will be viewed from two perspectives, the clients and the subcontractor's ends. For the company, it will have its pavement construction project done in record time and will be credited for being the first to make use of robotic technology in the construction of pavements. The company intends to have 60 drilling rigs by the end of 2019 (Saudi Aramco, 2019). To determine the success, the company will tell the number of platforms that are fully operational and meet the required standards set that have been facilitated by the constructed pavements.

On the client's end, Group J Robotics will be credited for being the first company to make use of robotic technology in the construction of pavement for a major client. The goal is achievable since the contractor has the necessary experience in this; furthermore, there is the option of getting subcontractors. The goals are relevant since more companies across the globe are moving towards better production methods. The time set and the production methods are up to date for the industry.

Lean Principles to be Achieved

The value stream, this is the totality of the pavement in its entire lifetime. It is achieved by maximizing the usage of materials at all stages. Gao & Low (2015), state that value stream entails meeting all the needs of the customer in the usage of the product, understanding how to eliminate waste and the disposal of the product at the end of its useful life. Group J Robotics will maximize the usage of materials, i.e., less usage of materials including the tying wires; improve the features of the reinforced bars by ensuring uniformity and avoidance of waste.

Robotic use will bring about perfection, an essential principle of lean management. A task that would take up to ten man hours will be reduced to a fraction of the original cost (Gao & Low, 2015). It will be easy to follow the happenings through the use of drones that monitor the project. Assurance on quality and reduction of production waste will easily be achieved by the construction method.

Haron et al., (2017) state that lean principles bring about the perfect flow of work which will be enhanced by GJR application of technology, flow, as a principle of lean management will be got through ensuring that the four stages of the pavement construction are met. Essentially, proper and quick laying of reinforcement bars will pave ways for the pouring of concrete. The whole area is 90000M2 which reflects in 4500 tons of reinforcement bars and 1,800,000 intersections, traditionally, this may be a hindrance to the flow of work if the work was to be completed manually. Pouring of concrete which is preceded by the joining of reinforcement bars is done through the use of machines; the contractor pouring the concrete can easily program the work schedule

Pull as a principle of lean management will also be achieved. In this, principle, nothing is made before its time; therefore there is little accumulation of work in progress. Essentially, the robotic system will ensure that there is a synchronized flow of all phases, from the tying of reinforcement bars to the pouring of concrete (Nowotarski, Paslawski & Matyja, 2016). Unlike the traditional system where pushing work is based on forecast and work schedule, the pull system works by ensuring everything is provided based on the next stage needs. Pull method provides flexibility and working in short phases, a need that arises in construction. Therefore, pouring of concrete can be done within short notice, reducing potential delays.

By the end of the contract, there will be value for work. The robotic system creates value by ensuring high work quality that is delivered on a timely basis (Haron et al., 2017). Moreover, the value created ensures that the production price is lowered and it can be easily expressed by the primary contractor. Waste is reduced and the client; Saudi Aramco can be sure to gain from the project.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The company has invested heavily on the projects, through the expected success; it will be a great source of learning. The mistakes made will help perfect the future constructions of similar infrastructure while the innovative technology that will be developed is expected to be patented. Equipment developed to help in the construction is expected to be viewed as innovations.

The project is to be patented based on the fact that no other pavement in the oil industry has been constructed using robotic technology. Therefore, the requirements that are needed in the construction of the pavements are unique to our company. The Research and Development (R&D) department will pioneer the improvement and perfection of the process since it will be done in phases. The final perfected method will be considered a company patent.

Moreover, the technologies will fulfill AEC desires to get away from the traditional labor-intensive replica that consumed much time and finance with a threat of a low-quality end product. Moreover, the technology will make it possible to bring in manufacturing approach to the construction industry. The project is also expected to open up the industry and make it ready to accommodate new and sustainable methods.

Project Significance and Timeliness

Subcontracting Group J Robotics will help in ensuring the completion of the project within the stated deadline and required a budget. Currently, the main contractor has a period of 18 months to have 90000M2 ready for concreting within a budget of 500,000 GBP. This means that 4500 tons of reinforcement bars will be used bringing about a total of 1,800,000 intersections. The demands are huge, and they are tied down by a limited period and budget constraints. With the need of contracting company met, it will be easy to complete the four phases of the project with ease. Moreover, the application of technology goes a long way in assuring Saudi Aramco of the success of the project.

Project Contribution to Society

The adoption of technology in the construction industry means a safer and upgraded working environment. Traditionally, there were hundreds of workers tying the steel rods together. However, few will be needed to put the bars in place as the Tybot completes the tying process. Therefore, the working environment will be much safer (Bogue, 2018). The Tybot is also constructed in a way that it its railway system, meaning that there will be less interference on other construction areas; the fewer rails means a cleaner working environment. Since there will be lower construction cost, the shareholders and other players are expected to record high growth in their revenues.

Additionally, the number of workers at the construction site will be lower; this translates to a low amount of money paid as insurance premiums. With the majority of the work being done by a robot, then it means that the company is in a position to deliver a quality product. It is evident that heavy rigs will be moved across the pavements and it is essential to building a durable object that can withstand the stress. The proper tying of the reinforcement bars ensures that pavements are strong and can withstand the abuse placed on them.

With the formation of the reinforcement bars being an integral part of the project, there is a need to ensure the success of the entire process. Moreover, there will be an improved construction culture, both at the site and across the globe. Based on the success of the project, it is expected that other players in the industry will adopt the technology in similar construction projects. It is also expected that the ideas can be tweaked to meet the unique demands of other construction areas.

Project Sustainability

Sustainability is based on the economic benefits that it will bring. Since it is expected to carry loads of up to 3000 DWT, it will need fewer repairs as the pavements are built to last. Economic wise, the project will ensure a reduction in the amount spent on repairs. From the description, it is evident that there has been a massive increase in the dead weight tones that the existing pavements have to carry, i.e., from 1000 DWT to 3000DWT. The damage to the existing paths and the number of repairs done will be brought down. The new technology promises to produce fewer emissions. In...