robotics

Top 5 Construction Trends in 2022 Embody Existing Industry Priorities

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

As 2021 wraps and 2022 begins, construction industry players say these industry trends are lining up to manifest in the new year and beyond:

  • Better PPE for Women: Greater emphasis on inclusivity for women in construction, namely in the category of safety, is expected to continue as a solid trend in 2022. Personal protective equipment that is sized more proportionately for women is expected to increase in terms of offerings from an array of vendors.
  • Increased Use of Automation and Robotics: As labor shortages endure, adoption of automation and robotics in the construction world will also endure and increase as a major 2022 industry trend to allow teams across the state, region, nation and globe to work more productively and efficiently with fewer human operators.
  • Increased Use of 3D Printing: This is predicted by analysts to advance design and construction modeling. Inventions such as one that allows 3D printing of asphalt are expected to continue to enable the construction industry to elevate its game.
  • Widespread Digital Transformation: From the office to the project site, digitization will continue transforming the industry on into 2022 and beyond.
  • Greater Emphasis on Sustainability: Due to public interest in sustainability, this focus is a continuing trend that will drive high-profile projects and collaboration in 2022 as owners and teams concentrate on sourcing sustainable materials.

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Construction Robotics Featured at 9th Annual AGCMO Tech Conference

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

Robots that supplement construction teams by performing repetitive tasks are preparing for their “invasion” at project sites, according to Tarlton’s Scott Green, presenter at one of the breakout sessions at the 9th annual AGC of Missouri Design & Construction Technology Conference on Oct. 22.

The St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers (SLC3) partnered with AGCMO to host the event, held this year at the Eric P. Newman Education Center in the Central West End.

Green, Tarlton’s director of technology, quality and productivity, told the audience it’s likely that St. Louis’ construction industry will soon embrace what is occurring on the West Coast. Large projects are recruiting robots to perform time-intensive, labor-intensive repetitive tasks to mitigate safety risks and compensate for the shortage of field workers.

“These task-performing machines are assisting in everything from demolition to material handling, bricklaying, laser scanning and more,” Green said. “They’re not replacing the human element, but rather complementing the construction workforce, reducing risk, enhancing efficiency, reducing the potential for human error and reducing safety risks on the jobsite.”

Examples of non-human counterparts that St. Louis jobsites might see soon include:

Dusty Robotics’ FieldPrinter: This robot-powered tool automates the layout process within 1/16-inch accuracy, printing full-size floorplans on the deck for builders.

TinyMobile’s mobile robots: Marking lines on sporting fields is the mission of this bot.

Civ Robotics’ mobile robots: These surveying field robots mark lines on roadways.

Advanced Construction Robotics’ IronBot: This rebar carrying and placing robot relieves the burden of heavy lifting by self-placing up to 5,000-pound rebar bundles.

SkyMul’s SkyMul robot: This drone identifies and ties rebar intersections.

SAM (Semi-Automated Mason): SAM lays up to 3,000 bricks per day, four times faster than a human.

MULE (Material Unit Lift Enhancer): This cargo-carrying robot can lift and place material weighing up to 135 pounds.

Hilti Jaibot: Locating and drilling color-coded holes in ceilings and decks at heights of up to 16.5 feet is this robot’s task.

Boston Dynamics’ Spot: An agile robot, this one navigates terrain, climbs stairs and can carry up to 31 pounds for 90 minutes.

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