If the construction industry can hack the challenges of implementing a hyper-connected IoT world, then the future is its oyster. Tim Clark reports
It is quietly revolutionising industries from healthcare to manufacturing.
However, for many construction professionals the Internet of Things (IoT) can be considered on the one hand an indecipherable futuristic concept, and on another a relatable common-sense piece of tech.
Like or not, IoT is expected to transform the everyday construction experience.
“Professionals working in the built environment have always used technology to assist them in making measurements, allowing them to proffer the objective advice on which confident markets and flourishing communities rely,” says Ann Gray, former president of the Royal Society of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
“We have come a long way from the theodolite [a precision instrument used to measure angles], and in recent years new digital technologies have proven nothing short of transformative for both professionals working in the built environment and society at large.”
The RICS Digitalisation in Construction Report 2023 highlighted not only the opportunities, but the challenges faced when incorporating digital technology into the construction sector.
The biggest challenge was high costs as one of the main barriers to IoT implementation. The initial investment required to integrate IoT devices into existing infrastructure can be prohibitive, especially for smaller construction firms. In addition to the costs of IoT hardware and software, companies must also consider the expense of training employees to use these technologies effectively.
Blockers to adoption included cost, effort and changes needed at company level, no clear demand from clients and stakeholders, lack of data standards, disciplinary silos, difficulty in realising benefits, and a shortage of skilled persons to name a few.
“As is true of many change initiatives, there is an issue with the realisation of improvements, which is compounded by the fragmented nature of the construction sector and the use of unstandardised data,” the report stated.
According to John Ryan, co-founder and director at Symterra, the adoption and success of IoT has been patchy at best when it comes to construction.
“IoT is great for manufacturing and has been embedded for decades, with vehicles, plant and equipment increasingly adopting it to provide advanced insights or analytics to owners,” he says.
“Building management system companies have pushed hard on it to help manage energy efficiencies of a building, which is a viable use case.
“The negative has been the use of IoT to track labour on site – cameras, buzzing hats, heat, movement, proximity sensors etc – most of which is more a vision of 1984 than actually useful. It has created an us vs them approach on projects; it fosters the wrong culture on site.”
Arms length technology
The first, and likely most impactful aspect of IoT is wearable and worker safety. Devices implanted within clothing can provide real-time monitoring, helping workers stay safe in hazardous environments.
According to tech firm A3logics, “wearable devices which monitor location or fatigue can assist in worksite security and safety, enhancing monitoring and communication on construction projects”.
Additionally, these wearables track environmental conditions and vital signs, helping to prevent accidents and ensuring worker well-being. Implementation is expected to be adopted widely as the sector matures and “wearables” will play a growing role in reducing not only workplace injuries but improving overall health.
The monitoring of humans is expected, and a natural extension of this innovation is to implement more accurate monitoring of construction machinery itself.
Known as predictive maintenance, the aim is to reduce operational costs while increasing the lifespan of machinery.
“IoT solutions optimise fleet management by tracking vehicle maintenance schedules and usage patterns, improving resource allocation and reducing costs,” according to A3Logics. The continuous influx of data allows businesses to make informed decisions, boosting both efficiency and sustainability in operations.
IoT is expected to form the backbone of autonomous machinery, which is increasingly being used in construction and heavy industries. These machines, equipped with IoT sensors, can perform tasks with minimal human intervention.
Florida-based firm Smart Structures is one company that has looked to provide a suite of resources for construction professionals that focus heavily on IoT, which it dubs “embedded intelligence”.
The firm states that IoT is here to stay: “The integration of IoT and autonomous machinery is reshaping job sites by automating heavy tasks, enhancing productivity, while reducing human error and increasing site safety.”
Twin town
Possibly the most widely-known aspect of the IoT is the digital twin, which allows businesses to create accurate digital models of everything from a single piece of equipment to an entire building or factory.
The 2023 RICS Digitalisation in Construction Report showed that the concept of the digital twin, or more widely BIM, has grown globally. It stated that “downstream construction processes, beyond design, continue to shift towards model-centric and data-driven workflows, and BIM and digital twins are in many projects now central to these downstream functions that project teams must perform. Therefore, it is critical to continue to monitor and measure the progress made by the sector in using these new tools and approaches”.
Ryan isn’t convinced the IoT and digital twin match-up has been a success. “Outside of manufacturing it really hasn’t delivered on its promises, and frankly the cost of designing/ installing/ maintaining it all is far greater than a simple sign in sheet and opening the window when it is too warm,” he adds.
It could be argued that until costs fall, the IoT interface will be limited to high-profile, and high-budget schemes.
The next step from smart designs is to have buildings incorporate smart materials. Sensors embedded in materials like concrete allow for real-time tracking of moisture levels, temperature, and curing conditions.
This innovation helps detect potential cracks, enhancing quality control and reducing the need for manual inspections. Beyond construction materials, environmental monitoring has also benefited from IoT.
Smart designs, smart materials, and ultimately smart buildings is the logical outcome for where IoT will overhaul the construction side of the sector.
One striking example of this is 22 Bishopsgate, a cutting-edge smart building in London. IoT systems in the building control everything from lighting and occupancy to HVAC systems, optimising energy usage.
As Dan Drogman, chief executive of Smart Spaces, explains: “When you walk into 22 Bishopsgate, everything is run through an app.
“The app controls building access, monitors occupancy, manages lighting, and even directs the lifts to optimise energy efficiency.”
The automation provided by IoT in smart buildings not only enhances user experience, but also contributes significantly to energy efficiency and sustainability. However, the integration of AI into smart buildings poses challenges, particularly around transparency.
Andrew Knight, a leading figure in AI applications within real estate, emphasises that “users need to be informed about AI’s role in controlling these systems, which is crucial for long-term adoption”. As AI systems within IoT platforms evolve to make increasingly autonomous decisions, ensuring users’ trust becomes essential.
IoT in legal and regulatory compliance
With IoT’s rapid adoption across industries, legal and regulatory frameworks are catching up to address the challenges and opportunities it presents.
In sectors such as real estate, AI and IoT are playing pivotal roles in streamlining processes and improving accuracy in areas like planning applications.
According to Justin Smith from Everlaw, the AI use of document scanning will revolutionise how they are handled in the future. This can be of vital importance to building designs.
“These AI document review systems can typically translate documents that are in different languages, process a range of file types and document sizes, and automate administrative tasks to help save time,” he says.
“Despite only having been around for a short time, AI document review has already established itself as the future of the e-discovery process.”
Although Smith is referencing the use of AI from a legal standpoint, the ability of AI models to interpret data remains one of the key advantages of using the systems. Data from IoT devices, materials, and systems will only add to this over the course of the decade.
The Internet of Things is transforming industries by bringing intelligence and connectivity to objects that were previously unconnected. From wearable devices that enhance safety to smart buildings that optimise energy use IoT is revolutionising connectivity to what were seen as everyday inanimate objects.
If the construction sector can tackle the challenges in terms of transparency, security, and regulatory compliance then IoT’s potential will only grow, reshaping the world in ways we are only just beginning to understand.
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