Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block, and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances, to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers, and other structures.

The occupation "Brickmasons and Blockmasons" has been assessed with a relatively modest automation risk of 19.4%, closely aligning with its base risk of 19.6%. This moderate risk arises because, while there are several routine and repetitive aspects of the job, many elements require manual dexterity, situational adaptability, and problem-solving skills that are currently cumbersome for machines to replicate reliably. Recent advancements in robotics and construction technology have made some inroads into automating the physical tasks involved in masonry, but widespread, fully autonomous bricklaying remains limited to highly controlled environments or specific project types. The tasks most susceptible to automation are those characterized by repetition and precision rather than creativity or judgment. For instance, tasks such as “Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels,” “Construct corners by fastening in plumb position a corner pole or building a corner pyramid of bricks, and filling in between the corners using a line from corner to corner to guide each course, or layer, of brick,” and “Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface” can all be partially addressed by robotic systems and specialized machinery. These tasks generally involve measurable, consistent actions that can be mapped and programmed with a reasonable degree of success, raising the automation potential for this segment of brickmasonry work. Conversely, the most automation-resistant responsibilities involve a higher degree of irregularity, problem-solving, and physical adaptation. Activities such as “Spray or spread refractory material over brickwork to protect against deterioration,” “Lay and align bricks, blocks, or tiles to build or repair structures or high temperature equipment, such as cupola, kilns, ovens, or furnaces,” and “Remove burned or damaged brick or mortar, using sledgehammer, crowbar, chipping gun, or chisel” require responding to unpredictable site conditions, damage patterns, or complex geometries. Bottleneck skills like originality—with assessed levels of 2.6% and 2.1%—underscore the importance of creative problem-solving, on-the-spot adjustments, and experience-informed judgment, which remain difficult for automated systems to duplicate. As a result, while automation might steadily absorb the more repetitive masonry tasks, core aspects requiring greater ingenuity and adaptability are likely to remain the domain of skilled human workers for the foreseeable future.