Investigating Barriers to the Application of Automation in the Construction Industry

The escalating challenges in the construction sector, such as comparative lower predictability and productivity, labor shortages, occupational safety, and hazardous working conditions, indicate the necessity and urgency of investing in automizing construction. Identifying the barriers to implementing construction automation and investigating ways to overcome them can pave the way for a greater use of these technologies in the construction industry, which, in turn, could increase its efficiency, safety, and productivity. In this study, a survey was conducted, which led to the identification of 11 major barriers to the widespread application of these technologies. They were (1) job loss, (2) initial investment cost, (3) complexity, (4) limited flexibility, (5) lack of skilled labor, (6) inadequate infrastructure, (7) resistance to change, (8) technical complexity, (9) safety concerns, (10) lack of human interaction, and (11) regulatory barriers. The paper is expected to shed light on how the application of automated techniques in construction projects should modify to better fit the concerns and demands of the industry.