_This article is part of a blog series, which explores the use of Digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT) in construction.

In the construction industry, the opportunities to use the Internet of Things (IoT) are endless. For example:

• predictive maintenance and operations optimization in buildings,
• asset tracking in construction sites,
• wearables to monitor people's performances on-site,
• logistics optimization on-site,
• security and safety in buildings and on-site,
• traffic management on-site,
• energy management in buildings and on-site,
• fleet management and asset tracking on-site, and
• many more.

To streamline operations and increase the efficiency in the supply chain, you need a solid system, that is integrated with your existing Building Information Modeling (BIM) and management software.

The system should include IoT to help you to:

• identify your bottleneck processes,
• address and resolve issues before they happen,
• locate assets or batches on the construction site, in real-time, without human-intensive intervention,
• eliminate human errors, which cause rework/waste and can lead to late delivery.

The integration of digital technologies and IoT in your processes will help you to automate and systemize your operations, helping you to implement the right measurements to:

• simplify your operational complexities,
• grow and expand your operations geographically,
• manage your projects simultaneously in different locations,
• meet tight deadlines,
• optimize your asset lifecycle management,
• optimize your projects cycle time,
• reduce waste and unnecessary costs.

What benefits, does the use of digital technologies and IoT, deliver?

The Internet of Things and digitalization are bringing great benefits to the construction industry:

• connecting smarter sites,
• improving safety,
• lessening accidents,
• enhancing working processes, and
• increasing productivity

Safety of workers

Safety is a worldwide issue in construction. Approximately 20% of worker deaths in the United States are in construction, but construction workers make up only 6% of the U.S. labor force. This is why the construction industry needs to improve safety on the job. IoT in construction can help reduce the number of accidents, using digital solutions can make sites safer by introducing:

• sensors on workers’ clothing and hardhats,
• wearables that monitor for hazardous materials on the construction site,
• sensors that monitor and alert when workers enter unsafe site areas

Real-time reporting

IoT helps keep projects moving forward.

• Real time enable construction sites connected by sensors, CCTV cameras, and drones to feed data back to a central office where decisions can be made quickly and communicated immediately to the site. Necessary adjustments are implemented promptly to keep the projects on track.
• Sensors and RFID tags on materials help the automation of the workflows, allowing proactive ordering of materials and servicing of equipment to optimize the use of your resources and minimize waste.
• Sensors, on-site equipment, monitor usage levels, and can flag potential issues for preventive maintenance. We all know that construction sites running out of materials or requiring equipment maintenance mean costly delays.

Continuous improvement

The real value of IoT resides in data used to make continuous improvements, to the ways you work. By making decisions in real-time and leveraging the data you have gathered from across your organization you can generate substantial improvements in your businesses.

To continuously improve your operations with the acronym CREDIT process, you should:

• Collect data that are of the most use to your business.
• Research data that are relevant to your business and make them useful to improve your decision-making process,
• Examine and analyze data from the field in real-time, to improve your project management,
• Divide the data source into categories, to connect them to each other, and process them easily,
• Implement actions immediately after decisions are made from the analysis of the data,
• Transport your data securely to protect your assets and data from one end of the value chain to the other.

IoT coupled with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Construction and infrastructure in Victoria

In Victoria, Australia, critical infrastructure projects known as “the Big Build” under an umbrella of investment in transport infrastructure across 45 major transport projects, Orange and GHD have used IoT and AI solutions combined with engineering, design, and SME experience in use case design to increase the efficiency of the projects by:

• connecting objects platform that delivered value on construction sites,
• monitoring movement of materials and assets to create real-time data streams,
• enabling performance to unprecedented levels of accuracy,
• utilizing key plant equipment more efficiently on construction sites
• making better investment decisions,
• providing effective visibility in the supply chain onsite
• increasing site productivity.

In Conclusion

The construction industry is slowly adopting new technologies like IoT.

McKinsey reveals that the construction industry is under-digitized and companies are failing to realize the potential of AI, IoT, and other digital tools as drivers of growth and efficiency.

95% of construction companies surveyed by KPMG said they believe emerging technologies including IoT will fundamentally change the industry, a further 72% say new technology adoption, including IoT implementations, is part of their strategic plan or vision.

PwC reports that 98% of industrial companies expect to increase efficiency by as much as 12% with digital technologies like IoT-enabled predictive maintenance.

Construction is ripe for transformation using digital tech, and companies that don’t act quickly could risk being left behind.

Small and medium-size companies’ inability to invest in technologies, restrict the development of new technologies in the construction industry. To overcome this issue governments should provide support for these implementations through funding programs and collaborative partnerships.

Standards and processes through the implementation of ISO 19650 are redefining and improving the construction technical environment.

Best practices require continuously redesigning processes to successfully adapt to the new changes and enhance growth

Legal concerns and security in Information and data exchange are prone to threats, so IT security should be taken very seriously to protect data privacy and data accuracy.

Implementing BIM can be daunting, but Driving Vision is here to help you at the pace you are comfortable with. Get started by getting in touch now