Comments on: Robot Corps to Repair Nation's Water Mains http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/ Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Mon, 29 Dec 2014 08:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 By: Sam http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/#comment-7935 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:03:54 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=4249#comment-7935 Let’s make sure this technology even works before we start digging…. Robots and processes need to be first proven to work in pipe-sizes as small as 1-4″ and as big as 12″ to 36″… and even then a flawed fiber-lined-and-sealed pipe relining process is just as useless as an aging pipe…. Let’s do feasibility and aging tests first , while continuing the dig-and-replace first….

Note also that cities will outsource/sell certain assets if faced with bankruptcy… a nasty but capitalistic must-do if unions remain stuck in their ways….

]]> By: Sam http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/#comment-25445 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:03:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=4249#comment-25445 Let’s make sure this technology even works before we start digging…. Robots and processes need to be first proven to work in pipe-sizes as small as 1-4″ and as big as 12″ to 36″… and even then a flawed fiber-lined-and-sealed pipe relining process is just as useless as an aging pipe…. Let’s do feasibility and aging tests first , while continuing the dig-and-replace first….

Note also that cities will outsource/sell certain assets if faced with bankruptcy… a nasty but capitalistic must-do if unions remain stuck in their ways….

]]> By: Carl http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/#comment-7934 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:09:50 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=4249#comment-7934 You know, as dispiriting as Jay’s comment is I have to agree: union labor has resisted almost every technology that results in efficiency gains, especially when that technology is automated. Just look at the Longshoremen dragging their heels for decades while foreign ports took massive amounts of business away from US ports.

Perhaps the answer is to educate the union laborers to operate and maintain the equipment purchased by the cities and counties…at least they could hope for better paying technical jobs that way even if there are fewer of them left to do the actual work.

]]> By: Carl http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/#comment-25444 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:09:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=4249#comment-25444 You know, as dispiriting as Jay’s comment is I have to agree: union labor has resisted almost every technology that results in efficiency gains, especially when that technology is automated. Just look at the Longshoremen dragging their heels for decades while foreign ports took massive amounts of business away from US ports.

Perhaps the answer is to educate the union laborers to operate and maintain the equipment purchased by the cities and counties…at least they could hope for better paying technical jobs that way even if there are fewer of them left to do the actual work.

]]> By: Jay http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/#comment-7933 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:06:52 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=4249#comment-7933 This will never work. You know why? Most water main repairs will need to be done in cities. Almost all cities have unionized work forces, especially in areas like sewer and water pipe maintenance. If you think the unions will allow robots to fix pipe that would normally require a team of guys to dig up, remove, replace, and re-cover, you’re dreaming. They’d rather bankrupt the city and have the citizens die of thirst than risk one union job to a robotic workforce that would eventually do 90% of what union members are paid to do for nothing more than initial investment and regular repairs.

]]> By: Jay http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/20/robot-corps-to-repair-nations-water-mains/#comment-25443 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:06:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=4249#comment-25443 This will never work. You know why? Most water main repairs will need to be done in cities. Almost all cities have unionized work forces, especially in areas like sewer and water pipe maintenance. If you think the unions will allow robots to fix pipe that would normally require a team of guys to dig up, remove, replace, and re-cover, you’re dreaming. They’d rather bankrupt the city and have the citizens die of thirst than risk one union job to a robotic workforce that would eventually do 90% of what union members are paid to do for nothing more than initial investment and regular repairs.

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