will shift from traditional processes in the next 15 years.
, chief technologist for robotics and automation at the United Kingdom’s Manufacturing Technology Centre. “Robots have a place in building productivity in the construction industry, but you have to be realistic about what they can do. Are we going to see completely automated robotic building sites in 10 years? No.” Similarly, Erin Bradner, Director of Robotics at the: “They’ll stop when they encounter an obstacle, but you don’t want your project stopping every time a person sneezes.
in many parts of the country. There is less incentive to buy robots to replace high-priced labor when the labor itself is not as pricey.Still, the digital revolution in the twenty-first century has propelled construction, particularly the architectural functions and project management systems.
While BIM initially just involved the professionals, modeling has since filtered down to workers in the field to offer suggestions and critiques of the unfolding designs. Gouveia describes the transition on a standard task like laying out the sleeves for plumbing and electrical pipes through a concrete deck. “Before, you’re unrolling the drawings, the wind is blowing, you’ve got a piece of rebar on one side, and you’ve got a brick on the other side, and you’re trying to hold it down.