State of practice of automation in precast concrete production

Abstract

A current evaluation of the building industry shows a very low efficiency regarding material use as well as a low level of automation in production and construction. With the industry additionally facing a scarcity of skilled workers in mechanical engineering and construction a development towards automated production processes has been noticeable. With concrete being the main construction material used worldwide this paper will concentrate on the state of the art in automated precast concrete construction, in particular the automated production processes and methods. The high innovation spirit of individual research facilities and companies has resulted in various new applications of robotics and automated systems in the precast industry. A classification of the production processes and production methods according to two level of automation scales will be presented. Furthermore, the environmental, economic and social sustainability dimensions regarding design, production and construction in regard to concrete construction will be addressed. • Incorporating automation in concrete component production increases efficiency. • Automation in concrete component production is on the uprise. • Levels of automation throughout the concrete production industry vary immensely. • Innovation spirit is high in regard to automation in the concrete construction sector.