Elite Construction

LARGE CONSTRUCTION FIRMS HAVE THEIR EYES SET
ON AUTOMATION
Automation has revolutionised factory work. The tech industry has now its sights set on the
construction industry and experts forecast robots will be next to take the scene.
All signs point to the fact that the building site of the future is going to look very different
to the one we are all used to see nowadays.
It’s a well-known fact that innovation has been slower in the construction industry in
comparison to most businesses. Whereas other industries have managed to adapt quickly
to technology, construction is still lagging behind, perhaps due to the fact that this
technology is not easy to be adopted by small and medium-sized builders and developers.
However, recent news and reports show that this trend is quickly changing among the
big construction firms as a result of the recent interest of tech researches, who are now
investing their resources and efforts in modernising the way in which we build our houses.
Consequently, experts are forecasting that the technology gap may not last for very long.
Automation to tackle labour shortage
With 22% of the current workforce over the age of 50 and numerous construction jobs
unf’illed across the nation due to a worrisome construction-worker shortage, some of
Britain’s biggest construction f’irms are willing to invest in automation. And slowly, more
and more commercial companies will join the ‘race’ to develop innovative solutions to
improve eff’iciency and tackle the industry labour shortage.
For example, Blueprint Robotics owns a facility in New Jersey where robots are building
prefabricated walls, roofs, and f’loors. And New York-based f’irm Construction Robotics has
developed a robot called SAM (Semi-Automated Mason), which can lay around 3,000 bricks
a day. That’s signif’icantly more than most human builders, who can lay a daily average of
500 bricks.
After having completed a handful of projects in America, Construction Robotics is ready
to cross the Atlantic Ocean and conquer the British market. In fact, the American company
announced early this year that they are hoping to introduce SAM100 in the UK market
within the next two years.
Elite Publishing Limited | www
Elite Publishing Limited | www.elitepublishing.co.uk
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