Robot Bricklayers to be trialled in the UK

The construction industry in the UK is set to receive a boost as robot bricklayers step in to fill labour shortage gaps and build new homes at a rapid pace.

Monumental, a company based in the Netherlands, has created robots equipped with two mechanical arms that can dispense mortar and lay bricks at a speed comparable to humans, which is estimated to lay 500 bricks over an eight-hour shift.

The machines, which have already built ‘dozens’ of house facades and canal-supporting walls in the Netherlands, will be used by Galostar, a London bricklaying contractor.

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The firm’s managing director, Tony Chapman, told The Telegraph he was testing the robots to see if they could be adapted to British standards and used on scaffolding.

He said: “We don’t think they [the machines] will ever completely replace brickies, but they can certainly help with the skills shortages we are dealing with.”

The robots are expected to be priced competitively, with rates around £1 per brick, similar to current market rates for manual bricklaying, according to Scottish Construction Now.

The robots can also be programmed for complex brick patterns and multi-colour configurations without additional cost, Monumental claims.

Another developer across the country has deployed a robotic bricklayer to build 27 houses.

In June, a Czech-based company, GreenBuild, saw its robot WLTR (Walter) laying bricks on the start-up developer JT Lifestyle Homes’ project in Durham.

Construction Index reported that the robot brickie can lay up to 200 square metres of masonry daily – 10 times the human output – constructing walls up to 3.5 metres high without scaffolding, regardless of weather conditions.

Walter, the robot, has been introduced to the UK by Czechoslovakian émigré Jan Telensky, owner and founder of JT Lifestyle Homes.

He said: “The construction industry is currently facing severe labour shortages at a time when the government wishes to deliver 1.5 million more homes. There are simply not enough bricklayers entering the trade to keep up with demand for affordable homes, so we must find new solutions.”

He added: “Robot Walter’s cutting-edge technology can ease the burden and create new, highly-skilled jobs for operators who will still be needed to oversee projects.