flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Bricklaying robot speeds up construction time of University of Nevada Arts Building

Building Automation

Bricklaying robot speeds up construction time of University of Nevada Arts Building

A-1 Masonry and Sandblasting and Q&D Construction brought the robot to the project.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | August 28, 2018
SAM used to build the new University of Nevada Arts Building

SAM100, a Semi-Automated Mason, uses a robotic arm to spread mortar on a brick and places it on the new University Arts Building at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The University of Nevada’s new Arts Building will require about 100,000 bricks to be installed in the three-story building. But for the first time in Nevada, about 60% of those bricks will be laid by SAM, a bricklaying robot.

SAM, which stands for Semi-Automated Mason, is being used on the $35.5 million project to cut construction time and costs and help with Nevada’s construction labor shortage. The device uses a robotic arm, computer programming, and a materials-feeder system to lay bricks at a rate of about one brick every eight seconds.

The robotic, metal arm spreads mortar on brick and uses a laser-guided system to lay rows. According to Q&D Construction, the project’s general contractor, SAM can accomplish the work of five masons.

 

See Also: Rovers set to invade construction jobsites

 

The robot is designed to work on large, uninterrupted walls, which means the first five feet of an area, corners, and around windows must be done by hand by a mason. Additionally, humans are still needed to set up the Hydro-Mobile scaffolding, program the design, load bricks and mortar, align the row, clean the mortar joints, and do the finishing touches to set the brick. Even with all of the human help still needed, SAM sped up the brick veneer installation process by 50%.

When completed, the Arts Building will feature a 287-seat recital hall, a new art museum, a fabrication lab, an electroacoustic lab, soundproof rehearsal spaces, music practice rooms, faculty office spaces, and a recording studio. Construction is slated to complete in the fall with the grand opening held during Spring 2019 semester.

Related Stories

| Jun 1, 2012

New York City Department of Buildings approves 3D BIM site safety plans

3D BIM site safety plans enable building inspectors to take virtual tours of construction projects and review them in real-time on site.

| May 31, 2012

3 Metal Roofing Case Studies Illustrate Benefits

Metal roofing systems offer values such as longevity, favorable life cycle costs, and heightened aesthetic appeal.

| May 31, 2012

5 military construction trends

Defense spending may be down somewhat, but there’s still plenty of project dollars out there if you know where to look.

| May 31, 2012

New School’s University Center in NYC topped out

16-story will provide new focal point for campus.

| May 30, 2012

Construction milestone reached for $1B expansion of San Diego International Airport

Components of the $9-million structural concrete construction phase included a 700-foot-long, below-grade baggage-handling tunnel; metal decks covered in poured-in-place concrete; slab-on-grade for the new terminal; and 10 exterior architectural columns––each 56-feet tall and erected at a 14-degree angle.

| May 29, 2012

Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s pediatric burn patients create their version of new Patient Tower using Legos

McCarthy workers joined the patients, donning construction gear and hard hats, to help with their building efforts.

| May 29, 2012

Reconstruction Awards Entry Information

Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.

| May 24, 2012

2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form

Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.

| May 23, 2012

Arizona Army National Guard Readiness Center awarded LEED Silver

LEED certification of the AZ ARNG Readiness Center was based on a number of green design and construction features SAIC implemented that positively impacted the project and the broader community.

| May 16, 2012

Balfour Beatty Construction taps Kiger as VP of operations

Kiger will manage current relationships and pursue other strategic clients, including select healthcare clients and strategic project pursuits in the Central Tennessee region.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


AEC Tech

Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption

Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI. 



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021