Source: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.
Saxonburg, Pa.-based Brayman Construction and its affiliate, Advanced Construction Robotics, took first place and a $10,000 prize in the inaugural AGC-Autodesk Innovation Awards program for an autonomous rebar-tying robot geared to bridge construction. The Tybot device ties continuously day or night, and takes over after construction crews carry, place and frame-in 10 percent of deck rebar.
In addition to Brayman, AGC Oregon-Columbia chapter was named second place winner ($5,000 prize) for its Educator Externship Program, created to help address the industry’s workforce shortage challenges. Sundt Construction in Tucson, Ariz., took third place ($2,500) for developing an electronic toolkit to help streamline the construction estimation process.
“Construction firms like th[ese] have the skill, ingenuity and determination to overcome any challenge” and “provde what dedicated construction professionals can accomplish,” says AGC President Eddie Stewart, chief executive officer of Montgomery, Ala.-based Caddell Construction. The AGC-Autodesk Innovation Awards were launched to inspire construction stakeholders to craft solutions to pressing industry challenges, he adds.