Barriers to the Application of Robotics and High Level Automation within the United Kingdom Construction Industry

The British construction industry has scarcely begun to consider the application of robotics and advanced automation to the building process. It is both the traditional organization and the culture of the building site which inhibit advanced technological development and its application in the UK. Organizational forms are based on separateness, in particular the separation of the responsibility for design and construction. The application of robotics, especially in its more advanced forms, requires control over design. The industry’s investment in R&D has been inadequate. This paper will argue that technological push is insufficient to achieve robotic development in the UK construction industry. Many other changes will be required – organizational, managerial and cultural.