T0500 TOR3009 Connected and Autonomous Plant

Connected and Autonomous Plant (CAP) is construction machinery that is connected to its environment to enable transfer of data and/or operates with a level of automation. The technology offers potential for the sector to: - deliver safe, automated, efficient processes across a wide range of applications; - accelerating project delivery, and - reducing both the frequency of errors and demand for labour, leading to higher levels of output and improved productivity. If the benefits found in manufacturing are mirrored across construction, CAP-generated productivity improvements could exceed £200bn in value by 2040[i].

According to the 2017 McKinsey Global Institute report "Reinventing Construction[ii]", construction is one of the least productive sectors in the UK economy, despite accounting for 8% of GDP and 9% of the workforce[iii]. As a national industry, and one that delivers the buildings and infrastructure required by every other sector in the economy, there is a risk that poor productivity inhibits wider UK economic growth. DfT is responsible for one of the largest infrastructure portfolios across government. Of the £20.6bn government investment in infrastructure in 2020, £17.9 billion was in transport[iv]. Initiatives such as CAP could accelerate the modernisation, digitisation, and industrialisation of the sector.

The definition of CAP recognises that autonomous construction is not about the transition of plant into self-operating machines. It is about transforming construction into a highly digitised industry, that takes full advantage of technology to improve productivity, efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint across the lifecycle of infrastructure and construction projects.