IS CONNECTIVITY THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION?

“Utilising real-time data from terrain, machinery, people, and materials, data-driven decisions can be made, enhancing safety, boosting productivity, and improving profit margins,” he comments.

“One of the significant challenges faced in earthmoving tasks is the unpredictability of what lies beneath the surface. Despite careful planning, unexpected conditions often emerge once digging commences, disrupting original plans.”

Instead of merely dealing with unforeseen circumstances as they arise, a connected site offers a more dynamic solution; it monitors site activities, assesses any deviations, and modifies the plan accordingly, ensuring continuous alignment with the project’s requirements.

An adaptive approach allows for more proactive decision-making on-site, whether it be altering priorities and repositioning equipment to introducing additional machinery or modifying on-site resources.

RICHARD CLEMENT, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER AT SMART CONSTRUCTION

PHOTO: SMART CONSTRUCTION

Clement adds, “This ability to dynamically respond to changing site conditions, rather than ploughing on unadjusted, is the key advantage of a connected job site.”

CULTURAL TECHNOLOGY SHIFT

The construction industry has traditionally been slow to adopt digital technologies, but, says Clement, there have been good reasons for this. “When the margin is slim, people would be more in favour of ‘safe’ working methods, with many choosing to stick with familiar processes despite potential efficiency gains,” he says.

Clement suggests that the introduction of new technology should be accompanied by a cultural shift that supports it.

“This change can be driven by significant opportunities that outweigh the perceived risks.

Government entities and major client organisations can also play a pivotal role in this transition. By mandating the use of digital technologies in contracts for infrastructure projects, such as roads and railways, they can encourage wider adoption among contractors.”

Ultimately, the real potential of the connected job site comes from observing how contractors actually work with digital solutions. It’s only through this direct observation, that it is clear if these tools are actually being used to achieve the expected cost savings.

Holger Pietzsch from Moog Construction, agrees that several barriers exist. “I think today, a lot of technologies have been developed independently. Interoperability and compatibility are not always present in hardware, software, and data.”

Pietzsch adds that there are excellent technologies on the market, but they are often proprietary. This is no good, he says, for contractors that work with multiple brands of machines or multiple software types.

Trimble’s Richardson, echoes Pietzsch’s sentiments and says that a key barrier to the adoption of connected construction sites is that, “data is locked into siloed workflows in proprietary software tools, which have historically complicated the ability to truly operate as a connected jobsite.”

HOLGER PIETZSCH, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT MOOG CONSTRUCTION

INTEGRATING DATA

The positive news is that this is changing, as vendors open up integrations and cloud-based software platforms that allow customers to integrate their data and workflows.

However, this leads to another issue – the skills shortage. “In the digital age of construction that we are in now, a skill set of software and integration-capable employees is highly needed, creating a major demand for skilled engineering staff blended with software development skills,” says Richardson.

ACHIEVING A CONNECTED JOB SITE REQUIRES ALL SECTORS OF CONSTRUCTION WORKING TOGETHER

PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK

A CONNECTED CONSTRUCTION SITE SHOULD BE SAFER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE

PHOTO: VOLVO CE

Pietzsch agrees that the skills shortage is a significant challenge to successful adoption. “Construction is an industry that still has a reputation that doesn’t make it a target industry for a lot of young talent,” he says. Jeroen Snoeck, dealer solution manager for Europe at Volvo CE, believes that new technologies require a mindset change. “Ensuring everyone on site is willing to leverage the benefits that a connected site brings can sometimes be a challenge. “We know that change is hard after you have operated in a certain way for many years, so we always make sure our digital solutions are as easy to integrate as possible.”

EVOLUTION CONNECTIVITY

Despite the barriers, there is optimism that technology will evolve to suit the demands of modern construction sites across the world. Trimble’s Richardson believes that the next evolution around the connected job site is dependent on how the data on the job is used. As the job site becomes more empowered through the integration of data and associated workflows the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) could become a key opportunity.

THIS ABILITY TO DYNAMICALLY RESPOND TO CHANGING SITE CONDITIONS, RATHER THAN PLOUGHING ON UNADJUSTED, IS THE KEY ADVANTAGE

“These tools will allow the contractor to automate forecasting, schedule optimisation, and better understand the health of their projects as they work,” says Richardson. Contractors will play a key role in driving the future of a connected construction site, but what about OEMs?

Clement from Smart Construction suggests that achieving a fully connected work site is not solely the responsibility of the contractor. OEMS must contribute by providing solutions to unified standards. “Government entities also need to play their part,” says Clement. “The realisation of this vision requires a collective effort from all sides to become a reality. Only when there is synergy in working towards digital advancement will connected job sites become universally achievable.”

IMPACT OF ELECTRIFICATION

Standardisation will be a key driver for the adoption of connected construction sites. “I think there’s going to be more standardisation,” Pietzsch asserts. “There’ll also be more efficiency, which in the end will reduce the carbon footprint. In improving efficiency we will also improve the bottom line for a lot of contractors.”

JEROEN SNOECK, DEALER SOLUTION MANAGER FOR EUROPE, VOLVO CE

PHOTO: VOLVO CE

Pietzsch highlights that electrification will be a positive contributor in terms of connectivity. “I think it helps a lot,” he says. “Because electrified systems are better in terms of machine readability, better in terms of programmability, and better in terms of our carbon footprint.” In addition to the environmental benefits, Volvo CE’s Snoeck believes that an evolved connected construction site has the potential to enhance safety.

“The ultimate vision is where all processes work in the most optimal way, with safety at 100%. To achieve this in an existing operation, it helps to work in small steps, which at Volvo CE we call ‘microservices’. “Through each improvement in the operation, the site manager and his team learn how to work together more efficiently and safely. The level of change differs depending on sites; on greenfield sites, for example, one can go faster and design the operation in such a way that a lean operation can be implemented from the very start.”

Employing an updated digital twin for all job sites will allow the industry to visualise, plan and execute with precision.

“Instead of using the digital twin as a reactive tool to troubleshoot issues,” explains Clement. “It can be utilised proactively in the planning stage. This proactive approach will ensure that projects are executed with confidence, knowing that the plans are both well-informed and feasible.”