Robot bricklayers to descend on post Brexit Britain

Armies of robot bricklayers could become a common sight in Brexit Britain as construction firms turn to machines to make up for the loss of skilled labour from mainland Europe.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Sep 2018, 06:00 BST
Robots up to 100% more efficientRobots up to 100% more efficient
Robots up to 100% more efficient

The UK’s construction sector is more receptive than any other in the world to the use of robots and drones on building sites, according to new research from Altus.

A survey of over 400 major property developers carried out by the group showed that 47% of UK firms predict that construction site robots will bring disruptive change, compared with just 34% of companies globally.

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British developers were also more likely to see the potential for using drones on construction sites, with 41% predicting major disruptive change, compared with 28% globally.

Altus Group director Ian Wimpenny said: “With EU net migration having fallen to its lowest level since 2012, and record employment, contractors are already struggling to fill vacancies and close skills gaps, so it’s unsurprising that UK developers are more open to disruptive technologies to keep Britain building post Brexit.”

Robots are already common in car manufacturing, and trials of robotic bricklayers on building sites are already underway.

The robots’ manufacturers claim they can lay 3,000 bricks a day, compared with the typical 300-600 bricks for a human bricklayer.

Related topics:BrexitBritainEurope