[Image above] Hadrian X, a mobile robotic block-laying machine, offers a way to speed up and streamline building construction. Credit: FBR, YouTube
In recent years, 3D printing has made a name for itself in the construction sector as a possible way to build faster, reduce material waste, and increase design flexibility. But it is not the only way to accomplish these goals, and earlier this month, an alternative solution for streamlined construction made its way to U.S. shores all the way from Australia.
Hadrian X, developed by robotics company FBR, is a mobile robotic block-laying machine. The system consists of a truck and its accompanying brick-laying arm, which places blocks painted with a quick-dry construction adhesive up to a height of three stories. Once laid, the blocks are dry and secure within 45 minutes.
When the first prototype of Hadrian X was announced in 2015, it could create the brick framework of a house in just two days, which is about 20 times faster than a human bricklayer. Since then, the system can now lay bricks at a sustained rate of more than 300 U.S.-format masonry blocks per hour, which equates to roughly 70 square meters (753 square feet) of vertical wall, or about a quarter of a tennis court.
In February 2024, FBR announced that Hadrian X successfully completed its Factory Acceptance Test at FBR’s facility in Perth, Western Australia, as shown in the video below. This success set the gears in motion for a Site Acceptance Test in the United States. After a seven-week journey at sea, FBR announced that Hadrian X arrived in Florida on July 8, 2024.
If the Site Acceptance Test goes well, FBR will then have Hadrian X build between five and 10 single-story homes as part of a demonstration program. Once that is done, FBR will enter into a more permanent agreement with CRH Ventures, the New York-based corporate venture capital arm of building materials company CRH, as the exclusive “Wall as a Service” provider in the United States.
“We are excited to arrive in a new international market to showcase the capabilities of our technology and commence our scaling plan with the financial and operational support of one of the world’s leaders in building materials production,” says Mike Pivac, COE and managing director of FBR, in a New Atlas article.
