Surveying and layout
Construction Worker · Structural Construction Worker
“Surveying and layout” (Construction Worker) is being replaced by AI: it entered in 2018 and is projected to be largely replaced by 2027.
What this task is
Surveyors use total stations and chalk lines to measure the site against the drawings, marking where walls, columns, openings and pipes go directly on the floor slab.
How AI replaces it
Layout-marking robots read the BIM model, position themselves with a total station and print wall lines and points directly onto slabs, quickly and accurately. Pilots began in 2018, and most new projects are expected to use robots for layout around 2027.
What stays human
Surveyors set up control points, check the robots' layout against the design, and resolve mismatches between the drawings and actual site conditions before work proceeds.