Autonomous plant adoption will transform construction

A new report from Infrastructure solutions company Costain has found that the widespread adoption of Connected and Autonomous Plant (CAP) in the construction and infrastructure industry would have enormous economic and productivity benefits for the UK.

Costain was commissioned by the Department for Transport to provide market analysis of wider adoption of CAP – construction equipment that uses the digital technology to optimise construction processes. 

The study found that increasing the production and sale of CAP could significantly benefit the UK economy, adding £61bn by 2050 through a combination of direct, indirect and induced effects across the supply chain.

At the same time, the construction sectors using more CAP could, through savings and increased productivity, realise an additional Gross Value Added (GVA) of £356bn by 2050. When these factors are combined, the research found that UK’s wider adoption of CAP could lead to additional GVA of £417bn (as a cumulative total) by 2050. 

At present, the UK is a net exporter of construction plant and equipment, a market valued at £15bn annually. Approximately one-fifth of construction plant currently in use has some degree of connectivity and autonomy, including compactors, excavators and bulldozers, in addition to technology such as 3D printing and AI robotics.

However the study revealed a number of additional benefits that the increased adoption of CAP through to 2050 would enable, including higher productivity, savings on fuel and energy costs, and safety improvements. 

In the road and rail sectors, it is estimated that CAP adoption could reduce the number of safety incidents by 28,000 through to 2050, with the technology potentially removing operators from high-risk environments, in addition to driving improvements to workplace wellbeing. 

The report also estimates that the wider adoption of CAP would have significant environmental benefits, based on more efficient work on site and reduced emissions. According to the study, wider CAP adoption in the years to 2050 would reduce carbon emissions in road and rail by approximately 19,300kt of CO2e, equivalent to the annual CO2e absorbed by an area of forest the size of Wales. 

Jonathan Willcock, managing director of transportation at Costain, said, “Infrastructure investment – particularly in transportation – is recognised as a pathway to national growth and prosperity. However, with myriad competing pressures on public spending, this investment must demonstrate value for money and maximise productivity.

“Connected and autonomous plant has the potential to transform the productivity of construction activities and, in turn, give a significant boost to the UK economy over the coming decades. Importantly, the technology will also play a key role in encouraging greener and safer ways of working, as well as creating more high-skilled jobs for the workforce. 

“We’re already seeing CAP being deployed on projects across the country, but in order to scale up and achieve the benefits faster, there needs to be a shift in thinking to embrace this technology and drive positive change.”