Cost and Design Impact of Robotic Construction Finishing Work

The purpose of this paper is to explore the application potential of robotics in the field of construction finishing works, both to existing practice and with the possibility of altered designs. Finishing work includes cleaning, scrubbing, shot-creting, de-rusting, de•scaling, coating, painting, sand-blasting and other surface applications. Apart from hazardous environments, surface finishing works may offer the most promising construction domain for rapid economic payoff, since surface finishing work closely resembles some of the arduous, repetitive work tasks already automated or roboticized in the manufacturing industries. Existing and foreseeable robotic capability in this domain are reviewed including generic system designs. Potential cost savings and quality improvements from introduction of robot automation is summarized with respect to existing work. In addition, implications for the design of buildings, particularly large-scale, complex architectural projects, are explored.