Optimization of engineering construction productivity with the use of internet of things (IoT)

Abstract

Despite the important contribution of the construction for the economy, in particular in developing countries, the productivity has been declining in the last 20 years (McKinsey Global Institute - MGI, 2016). The performance statistical of large projects shows deviations from schedule and budget in the order of 20% and 80%, respectively (MGI, 2016). The concern about projects success rate, where 71% of the projects do not meet the planned indicators (DELOITTE, 2018) and the historic lack of construction productivity, bring to the the need to modernize the sector with technologies that enhance the productivity levels. A challenging aspect is to measure and monitor the working hours and production with sufficient details to allow the data analysis and to determine the root cause of the productivity deviations. The importance of productivity in the construction industry is due to the fact of being an industry labor-intensive, employs 7% of the population (MGI, 2016), in which the labor cost represents between 30% and 50% of the total cost of a construction project. The traditional engineering control practices do not comply with the objective of improving the productivity, and usually project schedule basic activities, are executed on paper and in an uncoordinated manner between the office and the field. To optimize the projects performance and increase the team's productivity is necessary to count with tools that facilitate a more effective planning with field data obtained automatically and reliably. New technologies, especially Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), are providing a series of innovations with positive impact on the engineering construction performance. The proposed project is a platform to monitor the workers movement and location through IoT sensors and indoor location network. The solution will allow the field and office engineers to monitor through a dashboard, integrated with schedule software, freeing notes on paper inefficiency and mistakes. The Yellow Engineering is a management and design engineering company that follows the project management best practices from Project Management Institute (PMI) with certified professionals and know-how to establish the concept and develop a system that integrates the benefits of technological innovation with the methodologies of schedule practiced in the construction industry. Potential customers for technology, engineering companies, construction companies, infrastructure and industrial assembly, have a poor portfolio on integrated solutions and customized to your needs, depending on the development of technologies and solutions in the construction sector is primarily geared toward the real estate and commercial and residential construction. From an analysis of the construction technologies market, known as construtechs, there arose a challenge: how to develop a platform to monitor the productivity, integrated with schedule software, and with data from a stable network in construction environment, without economically unfeasible the solution? In this context, this research project aims to elucidate the challenge proposed, involving the main technologies applied in the indoor location networks, in order to select and improve technologies, methods and standards that represent the state of the art in this area of knowledge and which are compatible with the reality of the domestic market and the company's expectations. (AU)