The “Jaibot” by Hilti is a semi-autonomous robot that drills ceiling installations. Third, there are fully autonomous robots, which can perform complex tasks independently.

Second, there are collaborative robots, which can be used on a job to assist humans by, carrying tools or laying bricks, for example. First, there are factory robots, which perform simple manufacturing tasks. Three types of robots are reshaping labor forces currently. Robots can also: (1) help address the construction industry’s labor shortage, a demand that is expected to grow significantly in the coming years (2) handle more dangerous tasks to decrease risk to humans and (3) perform with increased accuracy. Because they do not need to take breaks like humans, robots can be more efficient and productive than laborers.

Robots are good at performing simple, repetitive tasks. Though critics questioned the credibility robots in live construction sites for a long time, real-world trials have proven robots’ ability to perform well. If an injury does happen, construction wearable technology can notify supervisors of the accident immediately, thereby enabling a faster response time and, hopefully, improving recovery prospects.Īlthough the list of benefits that smart construction can bring to projects is lengthy, downsides exist as well. This article provides an overview of various technologies the construction industry is now embracing and highlights benefits and drawbacks to each. Technology can help by allowing for better planning and oversight to prevent injuries from occurring. Approximately 130,000 construction workers missed at least a day of work due to an injury in 2020.Construction accidents result in workers’ compensation claims costing an estimated $2.5 billion each year.One in five employee-related deaths in the U.S.Ī few statistics further illustrate why we should focus on improving safety industry-wide: OSHA ranks the following as the four most common reasons construction worksite injuries: (1) falls due to unprotected sides, holes, andunsteady working surfaces (2) falling, swinging, or misplaced objects striking workers (3) electrocutions and (4) caught-ins orbetweens, referring to when workers are caught between moving or rotating equipment or within collapsing structures. This makes sense, given the presence of heavy machinery and the fact that workers often must perform tasks on elevated, unstable surfaces. The industry is one of the most dangerous indeed, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that fatal accidents occur far more often in construction than they do in other professions. One of the most important ways that technology can benefit the construction industry is by increasing safety.

Smart construction - defined loosely as the development and use of technology in the construction industry - carries a host of benefits. Because building projects are necessarily long-running, complex, and fraught with unanticipated delays, technology has a unique role to play in the construction industry. In the past, the industry has been criticized as fragmented and slow to adopt new technologies, but this is no longer true. Feel the Force: The Era of Smart Construction Has Arrived

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