Dam built by robots? Japan's Obayashi tests it out

Contractor's automation-heavy model tackles growing labor shortage

20200722N Obayashi

The construction site in Japan where Obayashi is building a dam almost exclusively with automated equipment. (Photo courtesy of Obayashi)

GO SAKURAI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japanese contractor Obayashi has started to build a dam almost entirely with robots, addressing the industry's labor shortage and aging workforce.

The site of the trial project is a concrete dam in Mie Prefecture, on the southeast coast of Japan's main island. The 84-meter-high structure is slated for completion in March 2023.

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