Automation and Robotics: The Design and Operational Planning of Construction Projects

The potential for robotic assembly in construction is examined with particular reference to the evaluation of the building design. The broad issues of design for construction assembly are explored and the relation to manufacturing assemblies identified. The paper presents the idea of representing the building design in a generative way determined by a rule system derived from the spatial relations among building components. It is argued that this provides the means to evaluate designs based on (1) component features appropriate for automatic mating and assembly, (2) component and subassembly delivery and (3) construction planning for effective use of assembly resources. The main conclusion is that the availability of automatic assembly will necessitate a radical revision of building processes.