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University of Nevada, Reno Uses Bricklaying Robot09-24-18 | Education

University of Nevada, Reno Uses Bricklaying Robot
First Bricklaying Robot Used in Nevada

In this picture, the wall of bricks is being constructed in the lower right and the large red arm picks up a brick from the trays on the top right. Then, the arm carrying the brick swings down and another smaller application applies the mortar. A video of the process can be viewed on the University of Nevada, Reno's website HERE
*Photo Credit: University of Nevada, Reno*

The University of Nevada, Reno has implored the use of an automatic bricklaying robot, named SAM100, that aided in the construction of its new $35.5 million facility.

A news article, found on the university's website, states that SAM100 laid more than 60,000 units of brick, out of the project's estimated 100,000 bricks. SAM100 is capable of placing a mortared brick once every eight seconds, and averages 200-250 bricks per hour. It was estimated that the robot cut the construction time in half.

According to that article, this was the first time the state of Nevada has utilized a robot of this manner. Furthermore, A-1 Masonry & Sandblasting, a brick-working company based in Las Vegas and founded in 2002, is the only SAM certified operator in the entire state.

Jeff Van Dellen, project manager for Q&D Construction LLC., the company that brought the robot, stated that SAM could do the work of five masons.

"While the robot does the heavy lifting, humans are still needed to set up the Hydro-Mobile scaffolding and SAM, program the design, load bricks and mortar, align the row, clean the mortar joints and do the finishing touched to set the brick," says Yun Ku, the author of the article found on UNR's website.

SAM stands for "Semi-Automated Mason," and it was made by Construction Robotics of New York. The robot uses a robotic arm, computer programming and a materials-feeder system. Its metal arm spreads mortar on brick and then a laser-guided system lays rows of brick.