By Brian Kassalen
As the construction industry continues to boom, builders are looking for new ways to keep up with increased demand, labor shortages, and shrinking margins. The field, steeped in tradition and craftsmanship, is sometimes known for its resistance to change, but today’s technological innovations may be the key to sustaining the industry.
Robots
Robots represent one of the most exciting innovations in construction. Although robotic technology has been around for decades, we’re now seeing it leveraged on large-scale projects ranging from hotels and offices to universities and hospitals. Robots can be used for demolition, excavation, tunneling, loading, and other projects involving strenuous operations.
For example, the Pittsburgh-based company Advanced Construction Robotics created a robot called TyBOT to lay rebar. As builders know, the process of laying rebar is manually intensive labor. With TyBOT technology, robots allow builders to lay rebar 24/7, expediting efficiency and accuracy. The process is no longer hampered by labor shortages or weather. A rebar-tying robot can tie 1,200 intersections an hour and is useful on large-scale projects like bridges.
Other skilled trades like bricklaying can benefit from robots. A technology called SAM – which stands for Semi-Automated Mason – is a bricklaying system that makes the process safer and less physically demanding while increasing accuracy. SAM robots apply mortar to bricks before laying them. The system still requires input from a human mason, but it reduces human lifting by 80 percent and increases productivity 3-5 times. The robots use a set of algorithms, sensors that measure incline angles, velocity, and orientation, and a laser.
Dusty Robotics’ FieldPrinter is an exciting innovation that has helped transfer building information modeling (BIM) on the construction site. The technology features a rolling robot that increases accuracy and reduces risk by automating the transfer of a digital model to the site floor within 1/16 of an inch accuracy and is ten times faster than a traditional layout. A human, meanwhile, oversees the robot from a handheld tablet.
Overall, construction robots are used to handle physically demanding and dangerous tasks, as well as labor-intensive work like lifting and carrying heavy loads and objects around a site. They increase accuracy and save substantial amounts of time in large construction projects. Because of their costs, construction robots are most appealing to large building companies. However, in the next decade, we can expect to see more robots penetrate the field.
Drones
Drones are also standard on large-scale construction sites and are used for 3D modeling to provide insights into project landscapes with spatial detection capabilities. In this process, the drones create a detailed aerial map of the construction site that can be used to create a 3D model. These models can help builders identify issues earlier in the planning process.
From their aerial view, drones also play a crucial role in security and, as such, help discourage and prevent theft. Drone imagery can be used to prosecute thieves, recover stolen assets, and assist in insurance claims or legal action.
Drones can also be flown between structures and other hard-to-reach areas to check for stability. Drones with thermal sensors can identify heat leaks, electrical issues, and cold spots, aiding in quality analysis.
While increasing in popularity among builders, drones must comply with national and regional aviation regulations. Drones can collect massive amounts of data, but this data still needs to be processed, managed, and interpreted. In most cases, construction drones are more expensive than traditional surveying and monitoring equipment, so they may be out of reach for small to midsize construction firms.
The future is here – are you ready?
The future is here, and in the next decade, we expect to see more and more integration of these robotic, digital, and material innovations in construction as they gradually expand beyond large firms to middle-market contractors.
We don’t expect human workers to be replaced by technology. Instead, their roles will continue to be redefined, and they will benefit in the long term with increased efficiency and safety. Indeed, innovation is a critical key for the construction industry to move beyond its persistent labor shortage and continue to support the demands of a vibrant, growing economy.
Brian Kassalen is a CPA, CFF, and a principle and construction industry leader at Baker Tilly.
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