Engineers were able to relocate this 85-year-old primary school building to a new location with the held of 196 robotic legs. (Image Credit: Shanghai Evolution Shift)
Sometimes you have to move a building, I guess. In Shanghai, engineers have moved an 85-year-old school building from the Huangpu district to a new location using 198 robotic legs developed by Shanghai Evolution Shift. The new “walking machine” technology being used is part of an effort to help preserve historical buildings. This school structure was relocated to provide room for a commercial and office center, which is expected to be fully constructed in 2023.
It’s not unusual to relocate older buildings for new construction projects in China, but the technique used to move the 7,600-tonne building is unique. Side rails or flatbeds are traditionally utilized to relocate buildings, but the Lagena Primary School’s irregular shape posed a challenging task for engineers. After weighing different options, experts decided to use an innovative “walking system,” consisting of 198 hydraulic legs that lifted the school and helped it walk 62 meters over 18 days.
The robotic legs moved one step at a time, relocating the school 62 meters away, a journey that took 18 days to complete. (Image Credit: Shanghai Evolution Shift)
In a video posted by South China Morning Post, each hydraulic leg can be seen advancing one at a time while moving the structure a few inches at a time. This was not the first time a building has been relocated, but it marked the first use of robotic legs for such a project.
Engineers behind this project said that the robotic legs “mimic human feet” and their “walking” function, which is more impressive than traditional methods, saves 20% more time. The legs also allowed engineers to rotate the school and change its orientation by 20 degrees.
Authorities decided to relocate and renovate the school instead of demolishing it. “We will transform the school into a building integrating cultural education and intangible heritage preservation, involving both culture and innovation,” said Li Jianfeng, general manager of the project. “We hope to revitalize the old building.”
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