Years ago, a mentor of mine shared that he believed opportunities and technology will have an ever-accelerating speed to market in the construction industry. He was right.
Until the advancement of the microchip and computers, changes were slow and steady. But starting in the 90s, what was unachievable began to become achievable.
A few technologies we’re hearing about:
Semi-Automated Masonry. Imagine a robotic arm mounted on scaffolding that lays brick. A mason is still responsible for site set up and final wall quality, but the heavy lifting and repetitive motion is left to a robot. [read more]
Brick Road Paving Machines. Two human operators feed bricks into a hopper in a desired pattern. A pusher slot then lays the brick road in one continuous sheet. Theses machines can pave 3000 SF+ of brick road in a day. [read more]
Architectural Navigation. Robots use CAD drawings or BIM models to navigate a construction site, completing layouts and measurement tasks. [read more]
Remote controlled demolition. Robots conduct controlled demolition of buildings, with the operator at a safe distance. [read more]
These innovations mean increased safety, reduction in labor cost as we know it and more consistent production, all equating to better efficiency. It also means transitioning to new skill sets to be learned.
Pretty cool stuff, I would say.