Segmental Pavers

Lay out, cut, and place segmental paving units. Includes installers of bedding and restraining materials for the paving units.

The automation risk for the occupation "Segmental Pavers" is assessed at 12.3%, only marginally lower than the base risk of 12.5%. This suggests that while there are some routine elements to the work, the majority of tasks require adaptability and hands-on skills that current automation technologies struggle to replicate efficiently. The foundational work—such as preparing the base by removing unsuitable materials, compacting and grading soil, and ensuring proper drainage—is among the most automatable due to the emergence of advanced construction machinery. Similarly, supplying and placing base materials, edge restraints, bedding sand, and jointing sand can be partially mechanized with today's equipment. Discussing design plans with a client, while involving human interaction, can also be streamlined through digital consultation platforms, making it another highly automatable aspect. However, a significant portion of the role involves tasks that are resistant to automation. Cementing the edges of a paved area, for example, requires fine motor skills and on-the-spot adjustments that are currently challenging for robots to perform outside of repetitive, controlled environments. Resurfacing outdoor areas with materials like cobblestones, terracotta tiles, or concrete introduces variability in textures and shapes, further complicating automated solutions. Additionally, sweeping sand from the finished surface prior to opening to traffic may seem simple, but it often demands careful attention to consistently achieve a clean result, especially on uneven surfaces—another challenge for automated systems. The main bottleneck preventing further automation of segmental paver work is the moderate need for originality, indicated by skill demand levels of 2.6% and 2.8% for originality in key tasks. Creative problem-solving and adapting to unexpected site conditions (such as irregular terrain or customized design requests) are difficult to program into machines. As a result, despite incremental automation of basic and repetitive activities, the nuanced, hands-on skills and creative judgment required for segmental paving ensure its risk of automation remains low, protecting jobs within this occupation from rapid technological displacement in the near term.