Throughout the history of humanity, construction activities have always been done with people involved, although we have benefited from technology. However, when the rapidly developing technology, increasing global population and consequently the housing demand, low productivity, sustainability and many other factors come together in our minds, “Is it possible to fully automate the construction activities?” brings to mind the question.
The rapid development of technology affects the construction industry in a very positive way as in all sectors. Automation currently has a very important place in construction activities. Productivity and quality can be increased with automation in areas that require qualified workforce.
Design with Artificial Intelligence
During the design phase, architects and engineers use different software for modeling. Artificial intelligence software, on the other hand, can optimize and create the modeling process using previously made design models.
Thus, it becomes possible to obtain the best possible modeling by only entering the site conditions and the desired properties of the building. Also, cultural architecture seems very difficult to automate.
Auto Construction Site
With each passing day, automation continues to transform construction sites rapidly. In the design phase, construction activities can be carried out efficiently with high accuracy with the help of machines produced using digital data obtained from information models.
Some companies are designing automatic machine control devices on this subject. By using GPS and other digital data, jobs that require qualified personnel and are subject to occupational safety can be done both faster and more efficiently.
With mechanical arms, many repetitive and labor-intensive processes such as material handling, wall knitting, and even 3D printing can be easily performed. For this purpose, Boston Dynamics company’s Spot-Mini robot was started to be used on construction sites for trial purposes.
It would not be wrong to say that such machines will take over some of these jobs in the future. Even if they do not completely take away people’s jobs, it will be inevitable to be used to increase productivity for jobs that require great labor.
Drones, on the other hand, are widely used today for measurement and inspection purposes. In this way, a 3-dimensional scan of the existing state of the building can also be done. Reports can be created using the data obtained as a result of these scans and possible errors that may occur can be minimized.
Digital Building Management
Automation can be used for the management of buildings and structures even after the construction activities are over. It is thus possible to collect and use data on issues such as building maintenance and energy efficiency.
While automation often worries us about job loss, it is important to remember that many of these developments are used to complement the skilled staff shortage and increase productivity. If the need for qualified staff is not met, it may be difficult to build important structures in the face of increasing population. In addition, these technological developments create industries that also require trained workforce.
In today’s world, where the need for construction activities is increasing, automation is a very important key for us to build new structures without harming our planet.
Credit: sanalsantiye.com/ Ömer Yeniay
