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Reducing the costs of construction

	One of the major technological disappointments since 1969 has
been the greatly increased cost of construction.  Conversely, perhaps
the most important single productivity advance we could ask for
is a great reduction in the cost of construction.

	The cause of the increase in costs is not clear.
Certainly environmentalism rates some of the blame, but it's hard
to see how it could be responsible for all of it.  Another target
of blame is unions, but the unions became less powerful during
the period of the increase in costs, and non-union construction
has become common without an enormous reduction in costs.  Safety
regulations are sometimes also blamed.  Construction is also greatly
affected by high interest rates.  Scarcity of land, to which environmentalism
is clearly a substantial contributor, has added to the cost of
housing in some states, especially California.

	The solution to the construction cost problem is computing
and robots.  Here are some of the ways.

	1. Design and construction schedule need to be detailed to the
point that each piece of wood or metal can be cut to size in a factory and
loaded on a truck so that it can be take off just when it is needed.
Subassemblies need to be built in the factory.  This must be accomplished
even when the building is one-of-a kind.

	2. The factory part must include electricity, plumbing, communication
wiring, moldings and cabinet work, etc.  The big construction part
of a building, e.g. framing and roofing and floors, is usually
completed relatively quickly compared to the installation of
the smaller items.

	3. Construction robots aided by computer-controlled cranes
can do the work, but they need to be able to do installation as
well as major construction.

Reducing the Cost of Construction

	We are so accustomed to the high costs of construction
that our imagination of what improvements we can have in our
homes, cities and work places is constrained by it.  Suppose the
cost of construction were a tenth of what it is.  Here are some
possibilities that come quickly to mind.

	1. Most people would have houses or apartments built to
order and might even rebuild once or twice as their family
situations changed.  Rebuilding in the same location would
make the change of residence less traumatic, because it
wouldn't necessarily be associated with change of schools
and other aspects of the neighborhood.

	2. Cities could be rebuilt so as to completely separate
a higher pedestrian level from a lower vehicular level.  In places
with permanent bad weather, the pedestrian level could be underground.

	3.