ABB Robotics advances automation in the construction industry for safer and more sustainable buildings

Nine out of 10 construction companies predict a skills crisis by 2030, and 81% say they will introduce robots in the next 10 years, with both safety and the environment being catalysts for accelerating investment in robotics.

ABB Robotics is driving automation in the construction industry with new robotic automation solutions to address key challenges, including the need for more affordable, greener housing and reducing the environmental impact of buildings amid labor and skills shortages.

Robotic automation offers tremendous potential to improve productivity, efficiency, and manufacturing flexibility across the construction industry, including automating the manufacturing of modular homes and building components off-site, robotic welding and material handling on construction sites, and robotic 3D printing of houses and custom structures. In addition to making the industry safer and more cost-effective, robots also improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact by improving quality and reducing waste.

"There are very few construction companies using automation today, and the potential for us to transform the industry through robotics is huge. Unlike manufacturing cars or assembling electronics, many of the technologies used in construction have not changed for generations, so we are developing new solutions to address key industry challenges," said Sami Atiya, President of ABB's Robotics & Discrete Automation business area. "This new customer segment will expand our product portfolio as part of a broader strategy to accelerate expansion in high-growth sectors such as electronics, healthcare, consumer goods, logistics and food and beverage to meet the growing demand for automation across multiple industries."

In a global survey1 commissioned by ABB of 1,900 large and small construction companies in Europe, the United States and China, 91% said they face a skills crisis in the next 10 years, and 44% said they would struggle to recruit construction jobs. Improving health and safety on construction sites is a priority for 42%, with the same percentage indicating that the environment is a key driver of change in the industry.

81% of construction companies say they will introduce or increase the use of robotics and automation in the next decade, while only a handful of businesses benefit from robotics today. In the survey, only 55% of construction companies said they use robots, compared to 84% in the automotive industry and 79% in the manufacturing sector.

The industry forecasts that the total value of the global construction industry will grow by 85% to US$15.5 trillion by 20302, while ABB Robotics' internal analysis of the market potential for robotic automation over the next 10 years shows high double-digit growth rates in key construction sectors including prefabrication and 3D printing.

The bot enables a new method

As the industry faces increasing environmental regulations and the need for more cost-effective construction, robotic automation reduces waste by improving quality and consistency, which is significant when it is estimated that up to a quarter of the materials transported to construction sites are left as waste3. With automation and digital solutions, builders can also design out waste at the start of a project through an effective building design and construction process.

With more than 200,000 job openings for low- and high-skilled workers in the EU in the second quarter of 2020 alone4, labour shortages in the industry are a growing problem, with young people putting off construction careers because they see it as a dangerous occupation. Construction workers account for about 30% of workplace injuries and are four times more likely to be fatal than other industries, with an estimated 108,000 deaths worldwide each year5.

Robots can make construction safer by handling large and heavy loads, working in unsafe spaces, and enabling new, safer construction methods. The use of robots to perform repetitive and dangerous tasks that people are increasingly reluctant to do means that automation can help support the industry's workforce and skills crisis and make construction careers more attractive to young people.

"A renewed focus on health, safety and sustainability is a catalyst for investment in robotics, while a dwindling skilled workforce means that the construction industry needs robotics to help keep up with the challenges of urbanization and climate change," Atia added. "We place our expertise and industry-leading portfolio of robotics and digital tools at the center of the construction industry value chain to enable faster, more affordable and sustainable construction through automated solutions, while supporting the industry's labor shortages by handling large and heavy loads, accessing hazardous spaces and enabling new, safer ways of building."

Innovations that are already in use

Pilot projects aimed at improving flexibility, productivity, and quality include automated assembly of walls, floors, and ceilings for multi-storey, multi-unit affordable homes in partnership with United States Autovol, and prefabricated modular homes produced in smart cities using Schindler Lifts' elevator robotic installation and robotic automation, increasing productivity by 15% and speeding up by 38%, while reducing waste by 30%.

Skanska's robotic welding application improves quality, employee productivity, and safety by automating the manufacturing of rebar baskets in the field. The solution also reduces the cost and environmental impact of transporting bulky finished reinforcement baskets to construction sites.

Ulf Håkansson, Technical Director at Skanska Construction, said: "Finding people to perform difficult, time-consuming tasks is becoming increasingly challenging, which means we have to travel further afield to find the workers we need. "Assigning these tasks to robots solves this problem and allows us to deploy our workers more efficiently. Automation also lends itself to the experience and imagination of the next generation of engineers, who grow in technology, and will be invaluable in helping us find new ways to use robots in our business. ”

ABB is also working with leading universities to develop new automated construction technologies, including ETH Zurich, Switzerland's leading research university. At ETH, ABB supports research in the field of building and construction robot manufacturing and helped establish the world's first laboratory for the digital fabrication of collaborative robots in the construction sector, located at the ETH Institute of Building Technology.

At the 17th Venice Biennale, the Austria architectural authority MAEID will present the latest large-scale ABB robotic 3D printing technology for the construction industry to inspire architects about automation and 3D printing, driving innovations and enabling new ways of building.

ABB Robotics advances automation in the construction industry for safer and more sustainable buildings

ABB Robotics advances automation in the construction industry for safer and more sustainable buildings

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