Design and Production of a 'New Concrete Bucket' Specialized in Lightweighting

## Design and Production of a 'New Concrete Bucket' Specialized in Lightweighting

Aktio Corporation (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and COO: Naoto Onuma), a comprehensive construction machinery rental company, has designed and produced a new '5.0㎥ Lightweight Horizontal Concrete Bucket' that significantly reduces weight compared to conventional models, aiming to improve construction efficiency in dam projects.

Aiming for the construction industry's major goal of 'improving productivity by 1.5 times by fiscal year 2040,' Aktio took on the challenge of streamlining concrete placement, which is the cornerstone of dam construction.

Currently, horizontal concrete buckets that are easy to transfer from general-purpose dump trucks are widely used in dam construction, but further productivity improvement remains a challenge. Therefore, they achieved thorough weight reduction for the 4.5㎥ capacity horizontal concrete bucket. By adopting wear-resistant steel for the main body casing to achieve thinner walls and switching the gate opening/closing power from hydraulic to electric, they succeeded in achieving a significant total weight reduction of 1,200kg.

This weight reduction allows for an approximately 10% increase in concrete load capacity (4.5㎥ to 5.0㎥) without changing the capacity of the lifting equipment, thereby succeeding in improving placement efficiency. Furthermore, if maintaining a 4.5㎥ load, it allows for extending the working radius of the crane, contributing to flexible operation according to site conditions and productivity improvement.

This product was developed by Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd., and Aktio was responsible for the design and production.

## Technical Points of Lightweighting for the 4.5㎥ Horizontal Concrete Bucket (Current Model)

- Achieved a weight reduction of approximately 0.6t by using wear-resistant steel for the main body casing members, realizing thinner walls.
- Achieved a weight reduction of approximately 0.6t by switching the gate opening/closing power from conventional hydraulic to electric.

## Future Development

Aktio plans to introduce the newly developed bucket to the construction sites of Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd. Along with verifying the introduction effects, they will confirm the bucket's durability performance through long-term use.

The field introduction of the lightweight bucket is expected to lead to improved productivity in dam construction, contributing to the reduction of on-site labor hours and the setting of appropriate construction periods.

Aktio will continue to leverage its 'Rentalsulting' expertise to provide products and services that lead to improved productivity at construction sites and work-style reform for construction workers.