Sensors and cameras are installed on site or worn by construction workers. This allow project managers to monitor project progress and optimise working efficiency. Moreover, the detection of workers’ exposure to high noise or repetitive motions can help increase safety on-site.
At a smart construction site, sensors and cameras are installed on site or worn by construction workers. By analysing data collected from the sensors, project managers may optimise working efficiency on site, monitor the progress and quality of the project and/or detect safety issues.
Sensors may be attached to construction materials (e.g. embedded in concrete to monitor the curing process), or in construction equipment to track their location and optimize their use. There may also be wearable sensors or cameras on site, which monitor the safety of construction workers.
Benefits and challenges
- Optimise the utilisation of construction tools and machinery by tracking their location.
- Improve transparency of what is happening on site e.g. by means of progress reports.
- Improve quality of construction materials, e.g. by monitoring the curing process of concrete, or by detecting changes in temperature or humidity on-site.
- Increase safety on-site e.g. by detecting when workers are exposed to high noise, bad air quality or repetitive motions.
- Risk of cyber-attacks and data breach. The privacy rights of individuals need to be protected.
Application examples
In the UK, the technology start-up Converge has demonstrated on more than 40 construction sites how sensors embedded in concrete can be useful for monitoring the curing process and predict the curing time needed. Moreover, the sensors measure temperature differentials to reduce the risk of thermal cracking (new.constructionmanagermagazine.com).
The technology company Pillar Technologies offers sensors that can be installed on construction sites to detect changes in temperature, humidity, dust, pressure and noise. In the U.S., the sensors have e.g. been used on construction projects to detect water-leaks and dangerously high temperatures, hereby potentially preventing a fire at the construction site (Pillar Technologies).
The technology company Indus.ai offers a solution that constantly analyses camera feeds from a construction site. Project managers may use this construction intelligence solution as a second pair of eyes, which e.g. counts how many trucks has entered and left the site, what the waiting time on site is, or whether the delivered materials match the invoice. The solution is already used by a number of construction companies, including the construction company Skanska (www.indus.ai).
Development stage
Smart construction site technologies are already available.
Construction impact
Smart construction site technologies will primarily affect the construction phase of construction projects.
Read more
www.sensorsmag.com
constructionexec.com