Sisk trials robotic lifting device on 400-home Wembley job

John Sisk and Son has invested €150,000 (£136,275) in a robotic lifting device that allows heavy materials to be lifted easily by reducing strain on workers.

The Material Unit Lift Enhancer (MULE), made by New York-based company Construction Robotics, aims to increase productivity while improving health and safety, by reducing fatigue and physical injuries associated with lifting materials on site.

The MULE is designed to lift material that weighs up to 134lbs and can hold the load even if power and air are lost, taking the burden off workers.

The tool has been used by Sisk on its residential development at Wembley Park, specifically in the construction of the multi-storey carpark of Quintain’s 458 build-to-rent Tipi apartments.

According to the tool’s developer, it is the first time the tool has been used outside of North America. Sisk has a 12-month contract with Construction Robotics for the application of the tool on its sites.

On the trial site at Wembley Park, Sisk worked with Tarmac to develop special oversized blocks at 89 cm-long, twice as long as standard concrete blocks, to increase productivity on site.

The bigger, heavier blocks were able to be safely manoeuvred into place by the MULE, while a trained construction worker manually handled the blocks into place using a specially designed gripper.

Tarmac building products line director Andrew Campling said that the technology would “increase efficiency rates and remove the amount of manual handling required”.

The Irish contractor said that the tool will not replace bricklayers or masons but will improve their working conditions. Alongside reducing safety risks, it will allow masons to take more time to evaluate brickwork and ensure design details are carried out accurately.

Sisk, Ireland’s highest-earning contractor, said it plans to roll out the technology on its sites in Ireland and across the UK in the future.

Sisk CEO Steve Bowcott said: “At Sisk, we are always looking at new, innovative ways to enhance productivity and make conditions safer for our workforce.”

Mr Bowcott said the technology has allowed Sisk to lead the way in “innovative construction solutions”.

Construction Robotics president and co-founder Scott Peters said the technology will “benefit the health of the worker and to add to the construction markets through new methods to improve productivity for installing block materials”.

In July, Construction News highlighted the benefits and risks that the introduction of new technologies can bring to construction sites, after the Health and Safety Executive revealed that there had been 30 workplace fatalities in construction from 2018 to March 2019.