On the Mohammed VI Tower site in Morocco, BESIX is using the BIMPrinter topographic robot, a world first for the construction of a skyscraper.
Created by Belgian company BIMPrinter, the robot is a mobile and autonomous topographic plotter, that traces straight on slabs the details of the digital drawings to real scale and to the nearest millimetre, for example to prepare the construction of partition walls with complex geometry and angles.
Mikolaj Zdebski, Chief Surveyor: “Innovation is an integral part of our corporate culture at BESIX. On the Mohammed VI Tower, we were looking for a solution for a very accurate tracing of the partition walls on 50 floors. This led us to contact BIMPrinter. Their solution provides a significant gain in accuracy, which has a direct and positive impact on construction teams and work quality. It also offers a faster working speed than traditional topographic preparation. With the robot, we now produce a complete floor plan in less than a day, which is three times faster than through traditional method and we are no longer limited by points and lines only - we can trace any designed pattern. The quality of the tracings is impressive for both straight and arched lines, and the 'painted’ lay-out reflects very well the future installations well before the start of assembly works. This is very helpful for workers, subcontractors, but also for the architect and the client’s representatives!”
BESIX and its Moroccan partner TGCC design and build the Mohammed VI Tower. Developed by O Tower and conceived by the architects Rafael de la Hoz and Hakim Benjelloun, the building will have 55 floors, reach a final height of 250 metres, and obtain top environmental certifications. The Mohammed VI Tower is part of the Bouregreg Valley development project near Rabat. Work began in 2018 and will be delivered in 2023.
BIMPrinter joins the other robotic solutions that BESIX uses for construction. In 2021, the 340-metre-high Uptown Tower that BESIX Group is designing and building in Dubai for its client DMCC became the first supertall skyscraper in the world to use Schindler R.I.S.E., an autonomous, self-climbing robot, to carry out installation work in the lift shafts. In Dubai, BESIX has also set up its own 3D concrete printing unit, which has been operational since 2019. The BESIX 3D robot has notably carried out one of the world's largest 3D printed concrete facade, a complete house, including its structural elements, and urban furniture, such as the planters of the Belgian Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo.
Robotic solutions offer multiple benefits in the construction sector, including safety, precision, efficiency, waste reduction, and new architectural possibilities.
About BESIX
BESIX is a group based in Brussels, Belgium, present in 25 countries and on 5 continents, in the construction, real estate development and concessions sectors. Its iconic achievements include the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest tower, European Parliament buildings in Brussels and the Grand Egyptian Museum on the plateau of the Giza pyramids.
BESIX Engineering, the group's engineering department, enables BESIX to carry out complex and unique projects, particularly in technical and environmental terms.
More info: www.besix.com
About BIMPRINTER
BIMPRINTER® is a company established in Namur, Belgium, since 2011.
After more than 20 years spent in the field staking out points in the traditional way, the idea of developing a robot capable of doing this same work came about and we are proud to be able to offer this product for sale. The final robot is much better than imagined, in terms of precision and speed.
Bimprinter has been exhibited at various large trade fairs: Big5 (Dubai), CES (Las-Vegas) and many other exhibitions.
Bimprinter's objective is to produce and sell high accuracy printing robots for construction all over the world.
More info: https://www.bimprinter.com/