A major question for masonry crews right now is how robotics fits into real production, not just a demo. PORR is putting that to the test at the Kladno Living residential project near Prague, Czech Republic, where it has introduced a bricklaying robot called Walter.
PORR says the robot is being used to build load-bearing and partition walls from acoustic bricks across a five-building development with 371 apartments, plus covered parking areas. Walter has been on the project since the start, placing individual bricks according to a digital design model with the aim of millimetre-level accuracy.
The company says the trial is meant to evaluate how the robot performs under real construction site conditions, and what it takes to integrate it into day-to-day operations. That includes adjustments to project planning and coordination, along with close collaboration among planners, client representatives, structural engineers, and on-site teams.
Walter is built for heavy lifting. PORR says it can lift individual bricks weighing up to 52 kg. The robot itself weighs 2,500 kg, operates over a range of 3.5 m, and can reach a productivity of up to 10 m² per hour, with power consumption listed at 1.5 kW. It is operated under the supervision of trained professionals, and it depends on site preparation and open workspace to function.
PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss said digitalisation and robotics are long-term priorities for the company, and he described robot-assisted bricklaying as a way to make construction safer and more efficient while still keeping it a people business. PORR also says Walter can currently match the pace of an experienced bricklayer and can form corners and wall openings, with a key benefit being consistent quality while handling physically demanding tasks.
For mason contractors watching this space, the takeaways are practical. Robotics only works when the digital model is buildable, the work zone is kept clear, material staging supports continuous placement, and the whole team is aligned on tolerances, sequencing, and access. PORR says its Construction Automation & Robotics team tailors each use case to the jobsite, which is a reminder that no robot rollout is plug-and-play.
Read the full, original article from World Construction Network here.