There are so many variables involved with any building project that it’s almost impossible to keep track of and document them all without leveraging new and emerging technologies to help you do so. This tech can vary wildly from industry to industry, so it’s always worth doing your homework beforehand. Here are a few examples of this new tech to give you an idea of what to look for.

 

1. Wireless

Wireless definitely isn’t a new technology, but it is one that is constantly evolving. Companies like iVolve have been developing powerful systems that utilise wireless technology in order to provide network capabilities and internet access to various building sites, particularly in the mining sector.

2. Production Management

Many building projects require heavy lifting. This means loaders, trucks, excavators and the like. Operators will often only eyeball the load a given vehicle has taken on rather than checking against what it’s rated for and, while the vehicle is completely capable of shouldering the weight, it does lead to high cost of maintenance. Utilising production manager software ensures that each vehicle takes the correct load, minimises maintenance costs and downtime, and keeps the work flowing smoothly.

3. Asset Management

Large-scale building projects, especially when running a plant, require a large degree of calculation and asset management. Assets can take any number of forms: GPS tracking/tagging, wireless network integrity, fuel levels, engine condition… the list goes on. It’s all quantifiable and it can all be tracked by one powerful piece of software. Having this over-arching asset management software keeping an eye on all of your automated systems decreases the need for round-the-clock human supervision and keeps your operations running smoothly.

4. Safety

On-site safety should be of paramount importance to any building project, and technology – particularly the sort of a preventative nature used in mines and other unstable areas – has been rapidly evolving. There are now GPS-based handheld devices that send out low-speed radar pulses that will alert the user of any potential hazards in the surrounding areas. These devices report back to a central database and can store reams of reliable data for further analysis and precautionary measures in problem areas.

5. Maintenance

Too often, proper maintenance of systems and vehicles ends up becoming something of an afterthought. Things are only fixed when they break down, which of course leads a massive drop in productivity due to downtime. With the proper maintenance management software, you can be assured that all of your vehicles are being regularly maintained and that your business is running at peak efficiency. The software will connect to an on-board unit on each vehicle and check to see if anything needs repairs, relaying data back to the central system and alerting you of any faults or issues.

Technology, as evident in the systems outlined above, is a creature that is constantly evolving to overcome new problems and twisting itself into surprising new shapes to meet new demands. The developments allow us to be more efficient, more accurate and safer in our work than ever before. As we move into the future, it will be very interesting to see which direction industrial technology moves in next.