On a construction site, a robot helps drill holes, drones carry out construction inspections, and a 360-degree camera monitors the progress of a construction project. Three years ago, the Dutch government presented such technologies as important solutions to the severe labor shortage. But automation and innovation in construction are a long process, experts say, reports a report by Dutch television NOS, BTA writes.
Construction is a sector in which work has traditionally been done mostly by people. However, there is a shortage of labor. "Labor productivity in construction has grown very little since 2000," says Jan van der Dolen, a sector specialist at ING Bank. He shares his observation that digital applications are slowly taking hold, but construction is still lagging behind the industry. "Robotization is much more developed there and productivity has increased significantly", says Van der Dolen. He believes that due to the limited labor market, entrepreneurs need to think about ways to do the work better and more efficiently. "Construction has to go this way, otherwise we will have big production problems", warns Van der Dolen.
Masonry robots
Due to the severe shortage of bricklayers, some sites are using bricklaying robots. The company "Monumental" has 15 masonry robots that can build walls up to 12 meters high. The robots can handle about 350 bricks a day - significantly less than a bricklayer, who handles an average of about 600.
But construction companies see the work as a necessity because there is a shortage of workers, according to the company's sales director, Steen van Krimpen.
"We can increase the speed so that we can lay a few more bricks a day," he says, and the company hopes to expand its operations with hundreds of robots to be used outside the Netherlands within five years.
Innovation takes a long time
The innovation process takes a long time, notes economist Ronald Dekker of TNO, a Dutch organization for applied scientific research. This is also due to the way construction is organized - construction companies work with different contractors, and in the chain there are also companies that supply materials.
"If you want to approach construction in an innovative way, it means that all stakeholders have to support it, and this slows down the process," says Dekker. According to him, schools that train future builders should also be part of this process. You have to think differently, for example how to build a house in an automated way.
"Think carefully about robotization"
According to robotics expert David Abbink from Delft University of Technology, construction has great potential, but you need to think carefully about how to implement the technology. "It is not a panacea. It is not enough to buy a robot, put it in place and be happy that you are innovative. You are changing the work and if you don't understand the impact on that work, you can make it very boring. And create boring residual work for people," he warns.
Robots are also not an end in themselves, but a means. "If you want to do something structural about the shortage of staff, you have to innovate in the direction of attractive work," explains David Abbink.
Leontien de Waal, a sector economist at ABN Amro, agrees. "You can't just put a robot in. It has to be able to work alongside human colleagues." She also says it has to fit into the business process, because certain activities in construction are less suited to automation and robotization.
60,000 people
De Waal points out that construction cannot stand still. "In the coming years, 60,000 people need to be hired, but where will we get them?" More housing needs to be built, buildings need to be renovated and new roads need to be built. And that's why technology is essential, she believes.
But technology and innovation will not completely replace professionals. "There will always be people on the construction site, it will be more of a combination of people and technology," concludes the economist from ABN Amro.