How Masonry Technology Has Evolved

Words: Cody Schulte

Photos: Malta Dynamics, EZG, Construction Robotics


How masonry technology has evolved is maybe one of the most loaded questions you can ask. As we all know, masonry dates back before the pyramids. Speaking about the evolution of technology since then would be unfair, so I am going to stress the development from the 1970s. The 1970s is the time that I heard all the stories from my father starting out in the trade while he worked for my grandfather (I believe it was the same time that every child apparently walked uphill to school both ways). Since then, the industry has evolved in numerous ways from safety, equipment, estimating, and more.

Equipment
I say safety, but one could argue it is more of equipment. At least twice a year, I hear the stories of my dad carrying four buckets of mud at once; carrying CMU up staircases all day; using pulleys or passing up material on the scaffold. Generally, I hear these as we have a Hydro Mobile set up on the job, or we just boomed up material to the fourth floor of a building. I say safety because the tradesman nowadays does not have the backbreaking pain as the older generation. Understandably, it is still tough and not for the faint of heart. Either way, finding ways to enhance our crews to work safer, quicker, and more efficiently is generally through technology. Adding major equipment such as mixers, trailer pumps, mules, hydraulic scaffold, forklifts, and cranes are simple, yet typical items that all mason contractors think about right away. But for us, simple equipment like a 20 Volt cordless DeWalt power washer that has a short hose that goes into our water barrels, cleans and extends the life of our mixers and pumps that we keep on site. Realistically, a minimal $130 product is extending our equipment for years. That is one of many ideas that we all use to make our daily lives on the job easier but may not be fully considered when thinking about technology.



Problem Solving
Almost every day, we are having an issue and seeking a simple yet effective long-term solution to a problem. Now, with technology, we are creating those solutions very quickly. For example, I feel that EZG has been dropping something new almost every year now. When I ask them, “Where did this come from,” I always get the same answer; “Well [insert masonry company] wanted a solution to solve this, so we created this together and now everyone wants it.” That is just one company. We all know there are numerous companies doing this daily.

  

Estimating
Estimating used to always be a full set of drawings with an architectural scale. I knew how to do it, but by the time I graduated college, I completed all my takeoffs with my laptop. Pulling measurements, scanning through drawings, taking up my lap instead of a large table. Through this, I was able to beat my father on most bids. The time it took to scale multiple walls, compared to clicking the mouse a few times was astronomical. It led to the ability for us to knock out numerous bids in the time it took us to do one; gave us ample time to check our big bids prior to bid dates to ensure any potential mistakes were caught. Now, as we enter this year, the amount of growth in 3D modeling with AI on takeoffs is on the horizon. It will be interesting to see how it helps limit our mistakes, provide quantities better, and be able to put out bids in even less time.

Along with the drawings, now comes tablets and iPads. Anyone not in the office has full access to all our drawings and documents across the board. The foreman can check a detail and show it to the masons on the wall so the trowels can keep moving. They can call the super, who can pull over, and pull up the drawings within seconds and help the foreman solve the problem. Scopes can be checked, change orders can be visible, etc. Now, all our software for time reporting is all captured through them. Daily reports run through them. Photos of issues, finished walls are all captured. Technology is just compounding everything we need to be efficient.

Artificial Intelligence
When it comes to AI, in my eyes, GEORGE is a game-changer for our office and field teams. From the office side, I can cut the time it takes me to figure out shoring in practically one-third of the time. That time alone allows us to be way more productive and help ensure we can be prepped and ready for our field teams. If the field has what they need, that means we can make money. For the field, our staff is excited about the equipment manuals. For example, instead of going through a massive book to confirm something on a Hydromobile setup, they can ask a question and get the answer right away. The time it usually takes to go back to the truck, then scroll through the book and get the answer back out is gone. Furthermore, as humans, at times we decide to go with our gut. Now, there will be no reason to as the answer can be provided that quickly.



Now the real question is, where does masonry technology go from here? My bold prediction is that technology will grow exponentially within the next decade. As we look to rebuild our youth involvement in the trades, technology will be one way of attracting them to our industry. At the end of the day, not many trades have the potential to have an impact from technology as much as masonry. Interior work will always be the same. Building our walls may be the same, but having a mule or a FRACO Exoskeleton is a pretty cool feature to the youth. Technology will also be a way to keep our aging staff around so they can pass the knowledge and continue to bridge the gap. Shockingly enough, these two generations may be so far apart, but the same technology may be what brings them together and strengthens our industry.




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