As a project manager, your main responsibility is to keep everything on track on your construction site. Nevertheless, an unexpected inconvenience might arise that requires an immediate solution.
But as a manager, you are not always available 24/7. What if you’re stuck in traffic, at home, taking that over-due family vacation, or even handling paperwork in your construction trailer? So, how can you keep track of all that is going on at one of your projects from a distance?
Also, project managers do not often have the time to verify and validate that the work is getting done on-site, so quality issues become inevitable. Contractors are mainly dependent on daily reports and progress updates to ensure that the work is being done efficiently and properly.
As a result, digital assistance has been embraced by the construction community as a necessity more than just an option. What if with the use of your phone, laptop, or tablet, you could handle everything on the construction site remotely? See exactly how many workers are working, and ensure that the project is completed on time and up to code. And hundreds of other tasks.
This is called remote construction monitoring. Remote construction monitoring not only allows contractors to supervise multiple sites competently, but also provides greater visibility into all aspects of your fleet, helps you save money, and enables you to reduce risks.
What is construction monitoring?
During a construction project, monitoring is an essential part of the project since it ensures the quality of the work. Construction monitoring is a helpful way of guaranteeing the precision, quality, and overall evolution of a construction project. It involves a series of independent inspections aimed at warranting the quality of work as well as the construction overall itself.
Construction monitoring allows contractors to supervise all aspects of their project through reports, updates, and metrics— giving them full digital control over the project.
Remote construction monitoring is a process that checks on the progress of a construction project remotely with an arsenal of technological tools. For example, employing cameras, sensors, software platforms, and other technologies to monitor, track progress, plan, adjust and streamline the site by transmitting data back to the office or to a cell phone or a laptop.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring a construction site through cameras and remote consoles is becoming the new standard as most project managers, architects, and the workforce still maintains certain protocols alive.
Even though remote construction monitoring has been around for a long time, due to the pandemic it has become more popular — technology has also improved. The idea behind remote construction monitoring is that it can save money and time by not requiring people to physically visit the site every day. It provides managers freedom of accessing construction from anywhere around the world in an efficient, highly dynamic way.
Benefits of remote construction monitoring
Theft Prevention
Construction monitoring— CCTV cameras are very helpful with theft prevention. Theft has become one of the main reasons for project managers to consider remote construction monitoring.
Most construction sites do not have 24-hour surveillance, this means they become an easy target for thieves in search of pricy equipment. However, with visible CCTV cameras, thieves are less eager to steal equipment out of fear of getting captured.
This monitoring tool helps developers safeguard the construction site and access it from anywhere, as well as keep an eye on how equipment and materials are being used. Monitoring your site 24/7 via CCTV cameras is the easiest and safest way to spot gaps and notice when equipment goes missing.
Construction Equipment Location Tracking
Monitoring the movement of construction equipment is possible through location tracking systems. GPS devices are mostly used by project managers to remotely monitor and manage their construction sites.
By using GPS trackers, managers can keep track of their equipment on-site through a dashboard — by accessing an internet connection. Remote construction monitoring can guarantee that the equipment is where it is supposed to be and needed.
Improving Contract
Lots of construction companies rent out construction equipment to others or rely on rentals to get the job done and bulk up their monthly revenue. GPS-tagged equipment can enforce accountability from owners and renters if something were to happen to the machinery.
By tracking the exact location of the machinery, both parties can certify that it is being used within the contract’s guidelines and statutes— on what was agreed upon in the rental agreement. This helps prevent contract violations.
Optimizing Maintenance for Construction Equipment
By using remote construction monitoring you can ensure that your equipment is in good operating condition and it is safe to handle. Mitigating your risk and reducing overall liabilities. Installing key GPS tracking devices on construction equipment also allows you access to its diagnostic system — get actual real-time reports on its conditions.
The system also receives faulty alert codes when something is not functioning well with the machinery and determines what maintenance services need to be performed.
Enhancing Employee Safety
All construction sites are filled with hazardous working conditions; safeguarding your employees is one of your highest priorities.
Remote monitoring via cameras can help prevent job-related injuries and enhance employee safety conditions by providing real-time footage and allowing you insight into the workplace while it evolves. With on-site cameras, employees are also more likely to take greater safety measures — by over 70% according to studies. Also, construction managers will be more aware of unsafe conditions and correct them before any harm can occur.
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Remote construction monitoring — requirements
Project Managers or contractors have a huge responsibility — the successful completion of their assigned construction projects. It is multilayered, complex, and full of moving parts. It is impossible to address every project at once, this is where remote construction monitoring comes in handy.
Here is a list of elements necessary for effective remote construction monitoring:
- High-Speed Internet Access:
It is essential to have an internet connection through broadband systems, satellites, and mobile hotspots that provide access to the construction site. This will ensure real-time monitoring.
- Surveillance Cameras:
You will need to invest in surveillance cameras. Even though these cameras are expensive, their ROI will compensate for their price. Plus, thanks to improvements done by tech companies, today’s cameras are easy to install and can be purchased at a fraction of the cost of their forefathers.
- GPS:
GPS trackers help locate out-of-place machinery, schedule maintenance for the equipment and evaluate their performance.
- Drones:
Drones are highly effective technologies when monitoring hard-to-reach areas on the construction site. They offer aerial views of rooftops and high-rises. Certain types of drones can even help design safety considerations for construction projects —- and even create a 3D map of the structure.
Remote construction monitoring can help you measure progress, improve quality, handle spur of the moment issues faster, and increase your profits — by giving you the fortitude and platform to take on more projects. When used carefully and implemented correctly, remote monitoring will take care of most problems that may arise during a project’s life cycle.