{"id":14968,"date":"2023-04-02T15:05:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-02T22:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/iot-has-massive-upside-but-data-must-flow-first\/"},"modified":"2023-04-02T15:05:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T22:05:01","slug":"iot-has-massive-upside-but-data-must-flow-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/iot-has-massive-upside-but-data-must-flow-first\/","title":{"rendered":"IoT has massive upside, but data must flow first"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Recent advances in AI and BIM could make the Internet of Things (IoT) a game changer for contractors.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For example, jobsite cameras, wearables and drones are just a few pieces of newly accessible technology that\u2019s <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>improving safety<\/a>, production and engineering, according to Thai Nguyen, Hensel Phelps director of innovation. Indeed, the plummeting cost of IoT technology is rapidly changing the tech landscape on jobsites.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s affordable enough where it\u2019s literally spreading out and really starting to disrupt the industry in many ways,\u201d Nguyen said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But integrating all the different devices now being used to monitor and collect data on jobsites, from smartphones to drones, is the next big hurdle.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally, the story is one of data,\u201d said Jim Zeitunian, chief technology officer for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>PowerFleet, a software-as-a-service company optimizing mobile asset performance that got its start as an RFID provider in 1993. \u201cWe\u2019re building a big data brain. If a construction company is getting over 100 integrations at different levels or specific-use cases with 100-plus different vendors, we\u2019d like to be the data that enhances that data.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Jim Zeitunian<\/p>\n

Courtesy of PowerFleet<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s where the potential \u2014\u00a0and challenges \u2014\u00a0of today\u2019s jobsite IoT start. IoT devices collect massive amounts of data that then needs to be integrated onto dashboards so contractors can easily visualize and forecast construction progress, productivity and costs in one place.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, AI-powered software can analyze those IoT inputs to provide real-time understanding on those dashboards of everything that\u2019s happening on a project \u2014\u00a0materials used, scheduling issues and what\u2019s causing delays, cost overruns, site conditions \u2014\u00a0and take steps to resolve issues without human help.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, like a construction site itself, it\u2019s getting all those different elements to work together that is the real key to success.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Mihir Somalwar<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Hensel Phelps<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou have so many different technologies and devices collecting data, but it\u2019s all in different formats,\u201d said Mihir Somalwar, corporate innovation lead for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Hensel Phelps\u2019 venture capital arm Diverge<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, which is actively seeking startups that can aggregate and analyze IoT data from multiple projects and sites. \u201cHow do you combine them in a central place where you can leverage the power of AI to make sense of it all?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Integrated delivery evolving<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Companies like Zeitunian\u2019s PowerFleet and Exton, Pennsylvania-based infrastructure engineering software company Bentley Systems are trying.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Last year, Bentley acquired IoT software providers Sensemetrics and Vista Data Vision, expanding the scope of its Bentley iTwin platform to automate acquisition and analysis of IoT data, align sensor measurements from physical infrastructure and train algorithms to identify deterioration progression and prioritize repairs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCollaboration is really what we\u2019re focused on,\u201d said Rich Humphrey, Bentley\u2019s vice president of construction product management. \u201cWe\u2019re not necessarily invested in all the devices, but we\u2019re trying to become the hub that makes sense of all the data in a digital twin environment.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Rich Humphrey<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Bentley Systems<\/p>\n

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The opportunity lies in connecting live data feeds from those IoT devices to BIM and digital twins, then leveraging that information with AI to create forecasting, schedules and cost models. IoT-enabled devices can report on changes in materials and environment conditions and update models in real time.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIntegrated digital delivery will continue to evolve where we\u2019re likely to see more interoperability between different IoT ecosystems and technologies like BIM, digital twins and cloud computing,\u201d said Misha Nikulin, managing director at Deloitte\u2019s Engineering and Construction Practice.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Already, Humphrey said, the technology that connects everything is cheaper and less complicated. \u201cEvery person who walks around a jobsite with a mobile app is connected to near-real-time data feeds\u2014and almost every contractor has a mobile device in some way, shape or form,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n