UK’s first home built by robot bricklayer

Aaron Morby 4 years ago
Share

A Yorkshire farmer will soon be moving into the first UK house to be built by a bricklaying robot.

Pocklington-based Construction Automation has put its robotic block and bricklayer to work after creating the first machine of its type to build around corners without stopping.

Its Automatic Brick Laying Robot (ABLR) has been four years in the making and has moved from factory testing to building its first home.

Once completed a farm manager will move into the three-bedroom single plot house in Everingham, Yorkshire.

In a world-first, the robot will lay all the bricks, blocks, and mortar while running on a track around the foundations.

Construction Automation was formed in May 2016 by entrepreneurs David Longbottom and Stuart Parkes.

“The house will contain around 10,000 bricks and will take the ABLR about two weeks to build, said Longbottom.

“It is the first house in the UK to be built by a robot, and possibly the first in the world.

“The ABLR comprises of the robot and a sophisticated software control system that reads digitised versions of architect’s plans.

“This instructs the robot exactly where to lay the blocks, bricks and mortar.”

(L-R) Parkes and Longbottom have gone into first commercial use after four years of development

Parkes, whose background also includes designing robots to lay subsea fibre optic cables, said being able to pump mortar at the volume needed to build a house was a particularly difficult problem to overcome.

He said: “In the end, the only solution was to design our own pump. That took a lot of testing and re-engineering until we got it right and it worked consistently, but by persevering, we have got there.”

Although the ABLR is almost market-ready, the partners are already working on further innovations including another robot that has the ability to place tiles.

Operation


The robot is controlled from a tablet and all the data about a specific build can be accessed remotely, making it very easy to assess progress on site at any time.

The job still requires just two people to work on each house – a labourer to load bricks and mortar into the robot and a skilled person to install tie bars, damp courses, and lintels, and to do the pointing.

The control system sends out alerts when these important jobs need doing, and then takes a photograph of the completed task to form a complete digital record of the key quality criteria.

Sensors measure each individual brick and then to line it up, so it is precisely central on the wall. The sensors also align the edge of each brick to produce a perfect finish.

The robotic laying arm sits on a nine-metre high vertical lift frame, removing the need for scaffolding and for people to work at height.

With the in-built vertical lift, the machine can build easily to the height of a standard two-storey house, so it is much safer than building in the traditional way.

Construction Automation has already secured patent in the USA on the technology, and a European and UK patent is expected to follow shortly.

David added that once the ABLR had completed this house, the company would be ready to go into full production.

Latest news

Housing and office new work jump fuels output recovery

August new construction work rebounds 1.6% after early summer fall
1 day ago

£300m London City fringe office tower approved

Rocket's 27-storey One Fairchild Street job set for take-off
2 days ago

Consultants named for London Tube Bakerloo Line extension

Aecom and architect WW+P to work up designs for four new stations
1 day ago

15 giant bridge beams lifted into place at HS2 station

Balfour Beatty VINCI carries-out civils work for Solihull station: Video
2 days ago

Ballymore JV picked for £500m King’s Cross scheme

Camley Street scheme to consist of 350 homes and offices
2 days ago

Digger stolen from Dorset site recovered in Poland

Machine found after four month police hunt
1 day ago

Construction firms face claw back of R&D tax credits

HMRC estimates only 38% of construction claims are "wholly compliant"
2 days ago

Willmott Dixon bounces back into profit in first half

CEO predicts ISG demise will shift client mindsets from lowest bid to best quality
2 days ago

M&E specialist Integral UK suffers fifth year of losses

Building services and FM specialist plunges to £32m loss
2 days ago

Glenbrook plans 44-storey Manchester resi tower

Scheme next to Deansgate station will contain 360 flats
2 days ago

Downing submits 430-bed London student scheme

Two-10 storey towers planned at Wandsworth Gasholder Site
2 days ago

Mace construction head steps down

Andrew Jackson leaves top role after three months
3 days ago

Pre-pack saves 60 jobs at fit-out firm WFC Contractors

Aviation fit-out group swoops on up-market hospitality fit-out specialist
3 days ago

Multiplex in talks for ISG’s £70m London offices to labs job

Plan to restart Regent Quarter life science campus with ISG project team
3 days ago

M&E firm goes under after more than 70 years in business

HBS Group Southern employed 75 staff
4 days ago

Trio of big names win £600m biscuit factory revamp

Developer Greystar confirms deals for McLaren, McAleer & Rushe and Sisk
4 days ago

HS2 London tunnels chief joins Transpennine Route Upgrade

James Richardson will take up MD role at TRU in New Year
3 days ago

Transport minister signals HS2 will run to Euston

Decision expected in spending review and budget later this month
4 days ago

£9bn Lower Thames Crossing decision delayed 7 months

Fears grow mega project could be axed in upcoming Budget
4 days ago

Vistry issues profit warning over build out costs at southern division

Probe launched after £115m hit on 9 schemes where build costs under estimated by 10%
4 days ago

ISG administrator tells subbies no funds to pay debts

EY warns trade creditors they are unlikely to see any of the cash they are owed
4 days ago

Giga factory powers McAlpine to top of contracts league

Work winning for the top 50 firms rebounded in September after August lull
4 days ago

Merit to build £30m modular NHS medicines centre

Specialist starts work on offsite components
4 days ago

Buckingham supply chain hit soars above £300m

Unpaid bills from unsecured creditors keep mounting
5 days ago

Mapping experts take control of buried pipes register

Ordnance Survey to help ensure safe digging and excavation
4 days ago

Winners of £3bn London housing major works deal

Graham, Kier, McLaren, Morgan Sindall, Vinci and Wates win places
5 days ago

BBC brickies firm went down owing £2m to suppliers

Hodgkinson Builders sold for £95,300 in pre-pack deal
5 days ago

Network Rail reveals top suppliers spend

BAM leads as biggest civils rail contractor
5 days ago

Go-ahead for £125m Immingham Ro-Ro terminal

Dragados is lined up to deliver the terminal which includes three new berths
5 days ago

Renew buys onshore wind firm for £50m

Full Circle deal adds 160 specialist technicians to workforce
5 days ago

Contractor services