Diverse Applications
IoT technology can do a lot more than many realize. Construction is one of many industries that stand to benefit substantially. Seven considerable applications of the Internet of Things pertaining to construction will be explored in this writing:
- Facilitation of remote operations
- Optimized supply replenishment
- Tool and equipment tracking
- Servicing and repair of equipment
- Monitoring of equipment and operators remotely
- Power and fuel conservation
- Augmented reality potentialities
Facilitation of Remote Operations
IoT technology allows most devices to be connected to the Internet. This means that certain automated construction tools can be operated from a remote office and the possibilities from there just continue to expand. For example, if you had IoT helping on a dangerous worksite, machines can be controlled from a safe place, allowing production without the compromise of workers’ lives.
Optimized Supply Replenishment
RFID tags can be fit to certain tools and machines that are regularly used. Such tags allow a computer system to automatically tabulate how many devices are available and facilitate automated replenishment when necessary.
Tool and Equipment Tracking
There are a lot of ways tool and equipment tracking through IoT tech can be useful. It can be a security measure to prevent theft; additionally, tools that are lost can be found with ease. Sometimes, a drill might go on a tour of the build-site and a construction worker may spend a long time looking for it. That kind of unproductive time can be curtailed with IoT. Additionally, certain terrain development modifications can be conducted remotely with proper equipment placement using IoT.
Servicing and Repair of Equipment
With IoT tech, equipment can be continuously monitored. This means that it can be used right up until the point where it needs repair, allowing sites to maximize the utility of certain machines.
There are always going to be instances where one machine breaks down for whatever reason. When systems can be monitored remotely, an amount of fluid can be changed before something seizes up, etc. Maximization of existing equipment increases the security of the associated investment. You get more for your money. Imagine being able to get 50,000 hours out of something that would otherwise only yield 15,000. The increased usage alone covers what otherwise would have been the cost of a new machine. If you don’t think that is realistic, consider the million-mile club which characterizes automobiles. If proper repair and maintenance of a car can keep it going for a million miles, the same kind of phenomenon can be seen with heavy equipment.
Monitoring of Equipment and Operators Remotely
Dovetailing from the previous point, it is a natural step to ensure all equipment is continuously monitored. Additionally, there are wristbands and the like which can be used to check vital signs on workers. Such IoT wristbands can send an alert if a worker is fatigued or otherwise compromised, allowing worksite accidents to be reduced substantially, while simultaneously maximizing the output of individual workers.
Power and Fuel Conservation
With IoT tech, it becomes possible to cut off systems that use energy redundantly. Sometimes, a building will be running at full power with nobody in it, and no reason for it to be costing the company money. IoT tech can automatically or manually deactivate redundant energy drains, conserving electrical costs. The same can be done about fuel in many scenarios.
Augmented Reality Potentialities
Augmented Reality (AR) has been around since at least the 90s, though it has not gotten to the truly effective point that is possible today via IoT. You’ve seen it in heads-up displays that are reflected on a windshield, and more dramatically, you’ve seen it through things like Google Glass, which represented a more dramatic approach. Today on construction sites, AR can be used to float information on the windshield of a piece of heavy equipment— again, the possibilities are extensive.
Optimizing Construction Operations
IoT technology can reduce costs and expand efficiency, both of which measures free up resources and increase a construction company’s competitiveness in the marketplace. If such innovations keep developing, they will be a regular aspect of construction sites soon.