Rebar tying
Construction Worker · Structural Construction Worker
“Rebar tying” (Construction Worker) is being replaced by AI: it entered in 2022 and is projected to be largely replaced by 2033.
What this task is
Rebar workers tie thousands of crossing bars on slabs and bridge decks with wire, one intersection at a time, spending long hours bent over in sun and heat.
How AI replaces it
Rebar-tying robots travel across the mesh, identify intersections and tie them automatically, suited to large flat areas; they have been used on bridges and slabs since 2022. Complex members remain hard, so most tying is expected to be machine-done around 2033.
What stays human
Beam-column joints and other complex sections still need hand tying; rebar workers gradually shift toward fabrication, checking bar placement and operating and supervising the tying robots.