Construction is changing, especially
in the housing industry. There so many technological advancements it’s hard to
stay ahead of what idea is next, which one works, and where they will lead.
This article (posted in Gizmag viaBuilder Magazine – HERE) shows the recent development of a brick
laying machine that can speed the construction of a home’s basic construction
by almost 20 times. Hydraulically enabled and laser controlled the machine can
build continuously without coffee and lunch breaks. Of course the real issue is
human capital—what is the impact. My guess minimal. There are fewer and fewer
people going into the construction industry (no matter what the wages), the
physical impact on the human body and the often cyclical nature of the job, makes the
decision to be a brick layer or framer or even a roofer, very difficult. Many,
after a certain age opt out, or as was found in the last downturn, returned to
Mexico (taking their skills with them). The new employee, now with a gaming and
technological skills and years playing SimCity, may find these machines to be
the answer.
We’ve had machines that build roads
for years, this is a quick video to give you an idea as to how fast these things
can work.
You want it in Brick?
3D Print Your Home
The future may be to 3D print your
new home. Here are a couple of videos to give you an idea of what is coming.
The home building industry has tried
for years to develop affordable manufactured homes. The idea, since the turn of
the 20th century and catalog kit homes, was to pre-make the house
and send it to the job site. Every idea has been tried, from complete modular
homes, panel construction, component (pre-built bathrooms and kitchens), and
now 3D printing. Costs and profitability will drive the direction of these
technological changes. Concrete seems to be the primary building material (it
can be easily extruded), but considering the exploding robot technology it can
be assumed that, in time, a load of lumber (pre-cut and bar coded) will arrive
on a job site, the robot will scan the lumber and building components, align
and then manufacture a balloon frame house. Easy-peesy.
We are at the beginning of a new and
dramatic shift on home construction, the bigger issue will be local approvals
and the weight that the building trades can bring to bear on the these
politicians—politicians who are already stressed under the pressure for more
affordable housing (see subsidized) and the needs of the public. It will be a
bumpy ride.
Stay Tuned . . . . . . . .
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