A Review of the Impact of Construction Automation and Robotics on Project Delivery

Abstract

Abstract The use of construction technologies is to improve working conditions, improve health and safety, scheduling and improving quality of the construction products. Construction automation redefines construction with machines and advanced technology to mitigate the problems faced in construction, such as labour-related issues among others. To adequately understand the impact of automation and robotics in the construction industry, this study is aimed at reviewing extant literature on how automation and robotics can be put into use in the construction industry as it is being used in the manufacturing industry. The study employed a systematic literature review approach and sourced for published journal and conference articles from Web of Science and Scopus databases. The review revealed that construction automation and robotics increase accuracy of components’ dimension through the use of lasers for dimension analysis, promote design specifications through the use of computer aided designs, increase quality of construction products by ensuring standards are met, brings cost effectiveness as value for money spent is achieved, eliminate material wastage due to accurate and precise estimate of materials needed, reduce construction accidents due to the usage of machines for dangerous construction activities, improve working condition as workers’ are more secure and safety is guaranteed, and reduce labour cost given the fact that machines are deployed for construction activities.