Drones, smartphones and cloud technologies support smart construction decisions
Construction generates 9 % of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) and accounts for 31 % of industrial employment, or 18 million jobs. Despite this critical role, the field has lagged behind others in generating new technology for enhancing productivity. The EU-funded Built2Spec project set out to remedy that. On the ground and in the cloud As project coordinator Germain Adell explains, “Built2Spec brings together breakthrough technological advances for self-inspection and quality assurance that will help meet EU energy efficiency targets, new build standards, and related policy ambitions.” Much more than individual high-tech construction and inspection tools, their holistic solution includes centralised data storage and real-time information sharing with the cloud-based virtual construction management platform (VCMP). Rapid building information modelling (BIM) utilises 3D scanning via a variety of devices including drones, cameras, and Microsoft HoloLens. Instant and accurate energy-efficiency evaluation and quality checks onsite can be transferred to the back office via the VCMP to streamline the quotation process. The toolbox includes portable devices for acoustics, airtightness and thermal testing as well as a single device for multi-gas evaluation of the most harmful gas pollutants. Smart building materials with embedded sensors or radio-frequency identification (RFID) support real-time monitoring of the physical and thermal behaviour of structures. A new day dawns for rapid on-site inspection and quality assurance Adell explained what a typical inspection might look like with Built2Spec’s technologies. Arriving at the work site with a smart phone or tablet, the engineer syncs the device with the Built2Spec’s VCMP. Data from a drone’s aerial thermal survey flags a window on the third floor so the engineer heads up to investigate. The smartphone RFID reader identifies which window systems were used, and the BIM model checks compliance between the design specifications and the actual model installed. Installation guidelines from the manufacturer specifications as well as installation and self-inspection processes can be reviewed on the tablet. The engineer can also see when the job was done, who did it, and the results of self-inspection testing. After determining the flag is caused by unfinished work, the engineer can message the subcontractor to determine why, document the inspection including an image of the window installation, sign the documentation electronically and send it to the project manager and the quality assurance department. Europe’s SMEs take the ball and run with it Built2Spec advances are enhancing partners’ positions in the competitive construction market. A prime example is Ecofix, an Irish SME construction company. According to Adell, “The company has transformed itself to become the leading specialist contractor in Ireland of high-performance, low-energy building envelopes.” Following on the heels of its 59-unit demonstration site for Built2Spec’s technologies, Ecofix has contracted to build 4 500 dwellings over the next 5 to 7 years. This could increase revenue more than 10-fold. According to Adell, “Opening new markets for the project partners and transferring the technologies to the construction sector is the only way to ensure your project has a real impact. And it is happening now.” Built2Spec’s toolbox of cloud-connected inspection tools is revolutionising the way the construction industry does business.
Keywords
Built2Spec, construction, inspection, thermal, quality assurance, virtual construction management platform (VCMP), building, cloud, data, radio-frequency identification (RFID), energy efficiency, model, building information modelling (BIM), toolbox, drone
