The IoT is proving to be the key to greater productivity in construction. It’s the first technology advancement in a long time to make real inroads into an industry that was, until very recently, heavily reliant on manual and paper processes. Now, it’s pretty clear that the benefits of the IoT in construction far outweigh those of existing manual processes. As a result, more construction companies are investigating and implementing IoT solutions that can help them solve their productivity challenges, leading to greater efficiencies and increased profits. The IoT is also the foundation for augmented reality—an up-and-coming technology with the potential to be even more transformative for the industry.
In the meantime, there are plenty of opportunities to utilize today’s technology for productivity growth—asset tracking and monitoring being the most valuable. But there are still challenges to overcome:
At Link Labs, we’ve worked with numerous construction companies to provide reliable, low-cost connectivity via Symphony Link, a low-power, wide-area network that works well at any job site. Many of our customers are pairing Symphony Link with AirFinder, a real-time location technology that lets them track and monitor assets onsite.
Below are some of the IoT in construction use cases we’re seeing that are having the greatest impact on productivity. What is your construction company using the IoT for? Tweet us @LinkLabsInc and let us know.
The tracking of tools, raw materials, prefabricated materials, and even people on construction sites is all being done today with great success. Numerous companies have reduced the amount of time they spend looking for tools and tracking down supplies, saving massive amounts of time and therefore money. Even personnel tracking, which is used to ensure all employees are safe and accounted for, is also being used on many construction sites to improve productivity.
Two caveats with regard to tracking:
Many construction companies use sensors to monitor temperatures or humidity levels that could be damaging to materials and/or workspaces. For example, poured concrete must remain within a certain temperature range, and sheetrock can be installed only within certain temperature ranges. Using sensors to monitor the environment, companies can avoid the expenses associated with replacing damaged materials and the accompanying delays in production.
Companies are also using sensors to monitor site environments in an effort to avoid dangerous conditions for workers (like too-high carbon monoxide levels), or to measure and evaluate the effects of vibrations caused by traffic, machines, and other sources. You can sense or monitor anything in a construction environment; it’s simply a matter of finding a cost-effective way of doing it.
If you’re a construction-based organization interested in integrating the IoT into your workflow or an OEM interested in adding location to your IoT construction application, contact us. The Symphony Link network is easy to implement, low-cost, flexible, and reliable for small- to large-scale construction sites. Schedule a demo today to see firsthand how Link Labs’ suite of solutions can solve your IoT connectivity challenges.