Join our daily newsletter At The Bell to receive exclusive market insights
- Construction company FastBrick Robotics (FBR) has successfully completed its first two-storey building using the HadrianX robotic bricklayer
- HadrianX had to work around elements like steel-reinforced concrete columns, suspended concrete slabs and rebar
- While there is still a significant human component in building such structures, the robot’s rapid bricklaying could be deployed to speed up the construction of larger developments
- With the successful build of a two-storey structure, HadrianX has gone to the next level
- FBR is trading 1.79 per cent higher for 5.7 cents
Construction company FastBrick Robotics (FBR) has successfully completed its first two-storey building using the HadrianX robotic bricklayer.
Next level
The proof-of-concept structure at FBR’s premises in Perth marks a leap forwaard for the company.
Previously, HadrianX had built only single-storey structures.
This time around, HadrianX had to work around elements like steel-reinforced concrete columns, suspended concrete slabs and rebar, and successfully managed the task in quick time.
HadrianX lays bricks on pre-existing concrete slabs.
In this case, structural bars were inserted into the concrete slab, and the robot laid the bricks to align with the structure. Rebar was then installed within the bricks HadrianX laid, and concrete was manually poured into the cores.
Steel cages were then inserted into the block columns built by Hadrian X, with a concrete pump used to fill the columns.
A precast concrete slab was then craned onto the ground-level structure, and HadrianX laid the bricks of the second storey.
While there is still a significant human component involved in building the structure — including pouring the concrete and installing the rebar — FBR envisions HadrianX being incorporated into the construction of large developments where multiple structures are being built en masse.
In this way, the rapid-bricklaying robot could systematically build structures and return to complete the top levels when the human work in between has been completed.
FBR Managing Director and CEO Mike Pivac says the HadrianX system has the ability to rapidly build necessary infrastructure in developing regions, even those that are seismically active.
“In many parts of the world our customers want to be able to build two-storey structures safely, quickly and efficiently, and we have now demonstrated that the Hadrian X can deliver on those customer needs,” Mike said.
“We have also taken this opportunity to demonstrate our ability to work a range of design elements like steel reinforced concrete columns, which may be required in certain geographies due to factors such as seismic activity, weather patterns or custom,” Mike concluded.
Next steps
FBR continues to refine and scale-up the HadrianX technology.
The company recently partnered with one of Mexico’s largest construction firms, GP Vivienda, to roll out the system in Mexico.
With the successful build of a two-storey structure, HadrianX has gone to the next level.
FBR is trading 1.79 per cent higher for 5.7 cents at 10:52am AEDT.
