Construction Robots Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Construction Robots Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Construction Robot Market is valued at USD 44.63 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 95.10 million by 2026 while registering a CAGR of approximately 13.6% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026). The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely affected the construction industry, with construction work coming to a standstill in the initial months of lockdown. However, the demand for 3D printing witnessed an increased interest in adoption from the industry owing to the benefits offered by the technology in safety.

Furthermore, the market for construction robots is anticipated to benefit from the increase in construction activities. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have some dampening effect on the market over the forecast period, more prominently over the later period as economies might experience a slowdown. Construction robots' demand, however, might increase due to safety needs, such as social distancing.

Key Highlights

• The increasing focus of the construction organizations in reducing the resource and material waste of the building materials during construction is expected to drive the adoption of the construction robots' market. Construction is one of the sectors where a significant amount of material is wasted due to the traditional construction process. Autodesk identifies that while it is difficult to get exact figures of the waste produced on a typical construction site, several construction organizations have thought that nearly 30% of the total weight of building materials transported to a building site is wasted.
• Further, the drive to reduce the construction time of the projects is aiding the growth of the construction robots. Welding time in Japanese construction sites has declined dramatically since the implementation of robotic welding systems. One firm in the country developed a system that uses two six-axis robots to weld structural steel for buildings. The I-beams are cut and welded before being delivered to the construction site, resulting in little welding needing to be done onsite.
• High costs associated with acquiring and maintaining the technologies are one of the challenges in the implementation of construction robotics. The purchase, along with the implementation of the technologies, is costly. Therefore, only firms with a good turnover and market competition can only afford these technologies. In addition to this, the automation technologies need to be updated and maintained, and most of them are expensive to update and maintain. The maintenance cost for the new robotics equipment is higher because of the special technician's need.

Key Market TrendsDemolition Type is Expected to Hold Significant Share

• Demolishing is an integral process in the construction industry as it is an essential process in renovation activities and new commercial buildings. Demolishing is time-consuming, potentially hazardous work, regardless of job site conditions. Also, selectively demolishing concrete elements within an existing structure for renovation purposes while using heavy equipment is challenging for construction companies. According to the Robotic Industries Association, demolition robots occupy approximately 90% of the total market share for construction robots.
• Since demolition is one of the most hazardous construction industry tasks, manual workers are prone to various fatal accidents and damages. Implementing robotics for demolition functions increases the safety and efficiency of the workers, hence increasing the cost savings for the construction companies. According to Ekso, the US spends USD 21 billion per year on workplace-related injuries that drain productivity. Construction workers are almost five times more likely to report poor health, and 20% of construction workers report severe pain. This significantly caters to the high demand for Demolition Robots during the forecasted period.
• A considerable advantage to using demolition robots is that it significantly increases safety as the robots are operated with wireless remote controls, allowing the human operator to remain at a safe distance. Demolition robots from Brokk and Husqvarna are significantly used in the market. Brokk and Husqvarna demolition robots, while highly compact, generally can break concrete at the same rate as equipment 4 to 5 times their size. A 3,000-pound machine in this class could break ten times its weight of general reinforced concrete. Also, it can be utilized to break unsupported slabs or concrete stairs without the need for shoring.
• In September 2020, Brokk Inc developed high-heat customization options for its robotic machines to improve their performance and life span in metal processing and other high-temperature applications. The heat-resistant options include steel tracks, cylinder protection, and a forced draft cooling system, with the feature utilized to customize Brokk models, including the Brokk 800P, an 11-ton, specialized processing machine. The heat-resistant features allow facilities to start maintenance operations, such as refractory removal and ladle cleaning.

North America is Expected to Hold Major Share

• While manual labor has been a huge and critical component of modern construction, technology has continuously improved since the first pulleys and power tools. Robots are the beginning to help get the work done. With low US unemployment and skilled labor shortages, automation is key to meeting demand and continued economic growth.
• However, According to PIAAC data, it is calculated that 38% of jobs in the United States are at significant risk of being automated during the next decade. According to a report by the Associated General Contractors of America, 70% of contractors in the US struggle to hire skilled craft workers. This comes as hiring needs in the industry are expected to grow 12% by 2026 with the demand for construction robots.
• According to the 2020 Construction Outlook Survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), 81% of construction firms have trouble filling both salaried and hourly craft positions, and 72% anticipate labor shortages to be the biggest hurdle in the next year.
• However, to cater to the issue of labor shortage, in September 2019, Built Robotics announced a USD 33 million Series B round. The aim is to allow one equipment operator to oversee a fleet of vehicles working autonomously in parallel, hopping in the cab only for tasks the machine can’t handle.

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the construction robot market is moderately concentrated due to the presence of a few vendors. The construction industry is one of the least automated sectors, and the robot's adoption rate is at a very nascent stage. Hence, the market players are looking for lucrative opportunities to launch their products and gain the maximum market share. Also, the vendors are looking for opportunities to raise investments from various stakeholders to enhance their production of robots for the construction industry.

• August 2021- Rugged showcased its layout printing construction robot. The company partnered with a construction firm called Consigli, wherein the robot was used to develop blueprints for the construction of 10 story building.
• April 2021- Printstones, an Austrian Startup, launched its multifunctional construction robot with a modular design approach. The robot can climb stairs, drive through doors, and is powered by electric energy.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

Brokk AB
Husqvarna AB
Construction Robotics LLC
Fastbrick Robotics Ltd
Advanced Construction Robotics Inc.
Dusty Robotics
Apis Cor
COBOD International AS
Ekso Bionics

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