Articles

  1. Drones: Your Preflight Checklist

    Drones: Your Preflight Checklist

    Digitization is having a big impact throughout all aspects of the construction industry. While design has long been digital, the physical world itself has not. Now, drone imagery can digitize the physical world and provide builders with an accurate and up-to-date representation of a project. With this data, construction companies can measure, collaborate, communication, and put good practices in place.

    This comes at an interesting time too—as drones across all industries are beginning to take off. In fact, a report from Allied Market Research suggests the market will continue to grow at a rate of 26.2 percent between 2016 and 2022.

    At the same time, the hardware and software is advancing as well. Today, aircrafts have the ability to fly autonomously, with the help of an embedded program. Drones have new sensing capabilities, smart cameras, and new interfaces. Hybrid drones, those that possess the capabilities of both rotary and fixed wings, are also seeing some new traction.

    All of this can enable greater productivity and insight into projects for workers. Drones can help with risk mitigation, resource planning, research and excavation, urban planning, and so much more.

    Hugh McFall, product marketing manager, 3DR, says that he is seeing more construction customers using drone data to save time and money and to improve collaboration.

    “Put simply, new technologies, including drones and other robotic tools, have quickly become just another tool on the jobsite—and that’s exactly how it should be,” he explains. “Now, many construction professionals are flying drones multiple times per week and using the data—the high-resolution maps and 3D models—as a team to plan the day’s work, identify issues that need to be resolved, share progress updates to their clients, and much more.”

    He adds that this means that every morning project teams are reviewing a high-resolution map and a 3D model of their site, oftentimes captured no longer than a day before.

    This is a stark change from how the construction industry operated even just five years ago. Perhaps the next best step for many considering stepping into the era of adopting drones is to create a checklist of all the steps to ensure positive implementation of the technology initially—and ongoing success for the long run.

    Preflight Checklist

    There are a number of different steps construction companies can take to ensure safe and productive flights of drones on projects.

    Patrick Stuart, senior director of product, web, and mobile, Skycatch, offers this pro tip: the more people on a project who have access to the data, the more they will come up with the value-add uses for it. But here’s the catch: don’t try to figure it all out yourself.

    “The most successful teams have enabled their uses and use cases to develop organically by getting the entire project into the platform,” he explains.

    With that in mind, there are still a few key steps—or better yet a checklist—of things that construction companies can do in order to get the most out of drone technology on a construction jobsite.

    • First, create a corporate or project budget. Stuart suggests that it is important to specifically dedicate resources to adopting new technology. This includes both people and money.
    • Next, create a mission and set goals. He adds to consider having objectives created at the top level of an organization that aim to find a way to use new technology to directly impact the future of the business. This can include things like making bids more competitive, reducing costs, or improving safety. Once it is decided what is going to be accomplished with new technology at a company level, it will ultimately trickle down.
    • Pick a champion. McFall of 3DR says this person will need to lead adopting new technologies and expanding them across project teams. Stuart adds that this should be supported by management to ensure that teams actively seek out and implement new solutions. He points to the examples of Hensel Phelps and DPR that both have corporate councils in each region that try out different technologies and check on a nationwide level to share what they’re testing out and what they’ve learned.
    • Next, implement a preflight checklist for drone pilots to follow. This can include everything from checking the equipment prior to flight to what needs to be done after. This will help them minimize risk, improve documentation, and ensure they are flying safely, according to McFall.
    • For some, the next step is to pick a trial project. This will enable a company to check against objectives and make adjustments as necessary until the implementation of technology is successfully.
    • Then, the final step is to expand to other projects, but use the first as a golden example to ultimately train and establish corporate best practices.

    Putting All the Pieces in Place

    Implementing new emerging technologies on construction projects isn’t an easy task. Even more, it can be challenging to build an in-house drone program and start flying.

    McFall recommends adopting a complete, end-to-end solution, rather than piecing together a mix of software. He also suggests ensuring that it comes with effective training and implementation support from a dedicated customer success team.

    “Having this level of support is crucial because regardless of how easy it’s become to fly a drone, there’s still a lot to consider: airspace regulations, flying safely and effectively, understanding how to analyze, export, and use the data to the fullest,” he explains.

    Still, it is a domino effect. Once the new technology is in place, it will change the way work is being done out at the construction jobsite, creating that reality where every morning project teams are reviewing a high-resolution map and a 3D model of their site, oftentimes captured no longer than a day before.

    “Technology leads to better visibility, which leads to reduced errors, which leads to better cost and schedule, which leaders to a better relationship to the client, which leads to more new business,” concludes Stuart. In the end, everyone wins.

    https://www.conexpoconagg.com/news/drones-your-preflight-checklist/?utm_term=Drones%3A%20Your%20Preflight%20Checklist&utm_campaign=Today%5Cu2019s%20Construction%20%2526%20Tech%20Trends&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email&cm_mmc=Act-On%20Software-_-email-_-Today%5Cu2019s%20Construction%20%2526%20Tech%20Trends-_-Drones%3A%20Your%20Preflight%20Checklist

  2. Skid Steers: The Workhorse

    Skid Steers: The Workhorse of the Jobsite

    As equipment prices rise, some construction companies are looking at skid steers as the go-to-equipment to help get the job done, as it is compact, productive, and can easily migrate from one jobsite to the next. Combine this with the fact that attachments are growing in popularity, and these machines are quickly becoming the workhorse of the construction jobsite.

    Skid steer loaders are used to perform various tasks at construction and mining sites. One of the major driving factors in the market is flexibility of skid steer loaders.

    “The versatility of skid steers continues to grow with hydraulic and non-hydraulic attachments,” explains Jorge De Hoyos, senior product manager, skid steers and compact track loaders, Kubota. “At Kubota, we’ve seen growth in attachments as multiplier in the workforce.”

    He points to the recent launch of Kubota branded attachments as evidence that it believes customers are investing more in hydraulic and non-hydraulic attachments for skid steers to minimize their purchases of other dedicated equipment, which can be done by attachments.

    “We have tripled the number of skid steer and compact track loader attachments over the last two years,” explains De Hoyos.

    He even suggests that investing in the right skid steer, combined with the correct mix of attachments, will minimize the need to purchase other dedicated equipment, boosting productivity and profit margins.

    Still, sales of skid steers will likely remain flat, as the number of attachments sold will increase exponentially. “Users are enjoying the versatility of skid steers given the increase of attachments and the increases in hydraulic horsepower.”

    These trends are also in line with recent research. According to the market research report compiled by Fact.MR, high initial investment to own skid steer loaders is restricting the market growth. However, vendors are providing financing options to increase the sale, and this also results in the minimum impact on the budget of companies to own the equipment.

    Vertical lift skid steer loaders are anticipated to witness growth throughout the forecast period, while skid steer loaders with 65-80 HP of engine power are expected to be preferred.

    Technological & Operational Advances for Skid Steers

    Increasing operator comfort, providing larger skid steer loaders, providing high lift capability, and offering units with vertical-lift are some of the focus areas in the development of skid steer loaders today.

    De Hoyos explains that in addition to power and efficiency, operator comfort has been at the forefront of innovation and design during the last five years.

    He points to Kubota’s rollup door on the skid steers, which are unique in that they can be locked in the open position so that the operator can continue to operate without removing and storing the door. Additionally, the door can be opened at any point of loader arm travel.

    Another growing trend is the technological advances that are now available on the equipment. Even just five years ago, skid steers were very mechanical in nature and more physical to operate, explains Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager, skid steers and compact track loaders, John Deere Construction & Forestry.

    However, today, the equipment has evolved rapidly, as they have joy stick controls, are ergonomic, and have electrohydraulic (EH) controls. Zupancic explains that with controls, wires run to the hydraulic system and the software and programming tell the machine how to function based on the input.

    Earlier this year, the company announced the new John Deere G-Series mid-frame skid steers and compact track loader. Flexible control choices allow contractors to choose between standard manual foot and hand controls, EH ISO joystick controls switchable between ISO- and H-patterns, and performance package options for adjusting drive system response, boom and bucket speeds, or for setting creep mode on demand.

    Additionally, 4G JDLink Ultimate machine monitoring provides real-time data and health prognostics to suggest maintenance solutions that decrease costly downtime and protect against machine theft. Remote diagnostics enable a dealer to read codes, record performance data, and even update software without a trip to the jobsite.

    Going forward, Zupancic says the equipment will continue to advance even further. For example, there will be more grade control systems from companies like Trimble and Topcon Positioning Systems.

    These advances, and others, are changing how work is done at the construction jobsite today—and will continue to reinvent projects in the future.

    Zupancic says one of the biggest ways it is doing this is by taking away the physical nature of manually operating a machine, increasing productivity and safety.

    “A beginner operator can be more proficient with these features,” he explains. “A good operator can become great and a new operator can become more productive and safe.”

    For new operators just getting started with the equipment, he recommends familiarizing yourself with the manual and signing up for local union programs to learn how they function. He also urges the importance of safety and doing a daily walk around at the beginning of a project to check air pressure, fluids, filters, belts, and more.

    However, in the end skid steers can help diversify a business, providing good value and return on investment (ROI) to construction companies.

    De Hoyos says while many users are migrating to compact track loaders, skid steers still have a place in the workforce. “The choice may not be as application driven as it was before because the surface and conditions may dictate a wheel machine rather than a track machine. Remember that the attachments, are, for the most part, universal for both product lines.”

  3. Low-Emission Engines

    Low-Emission Engines for Construction

    For machine operators, generous torque is critical, as it provides low revs, prompt response, low fuel consumption, low life cycle costs, low power-to-weight ratio, and so much more. Now, low-emissions industrial engines are more often being used to power equipment.

    Such is the case with a new partnership between Scania and Kobelco Construction Machinery. Scania’s engines will power Kobelco’s new models of the 300t hydraulic crawler cranes. More specifically, it will supply 13-litre low-emission industrial engines for use in crawler cranes with a lifting capacity of 300 metric tons. The first product will be launched in the United States—and then worldwide.

    Scania’s 13-litre 331kW industrial engine meets the Stage IV/Tier4 final/Japan H26 emission standards without the need for a particulate filter. Customers in countries with emission standards will benefit from the low-emission engines.

    While this is one example, the trend lately is toward more low-emission engines for the construction industry. Fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions are becoming major drivers in the development of more advanced, energy-efficient internal combustion engines.

    At the same time, new technologies, as well as improvements to existing technologies, are required for diesel engines.

    The Diesel Technology Forum suggests diesel technology can help reduce petroleum consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions. It indicates that it also provides a platform for other alternative technologies such as hybridization and the use of biofuels.

    At the end of the day, clean diesel and low-emission industrial engines can lead to a cleaner environment and a stronger economy.

    http://www.conexpoconagg.com/news/april-2018/low-emission-engines-for-construction/?utm_term=Low-Emission%20Engines%20for%20Construction&utm_campaign=Today%5Cu2019s%20Construction%20%2526%20Tech%20Trends&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email&cm_mmc=Act-On%20Software-_-email-_-Today%5Cu2019s%20Construction%20%2526%20Tech%20Trends-_-Low-Emission%20Engines%20for%20Construction

  4. Asphalt Pavement Gets an Upgrade

    Asphalt Pavement Gets an Upgrade

    Research happening today can change the face of construction tomorrow. As one example, Minnesota-based MnROAD recently began collaborating with the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) to share research on experiments with roadway construction materials in traffic conditions to determine impact on pavement performance.

    The two primary experiments focus on pavement preservation and validation of cracking tests in a broad range of climate conditions. The research efforts by each organization lead to safer and more cost-effective pavement designs that can be adopted by state departments of transportation and municipalities across the country.

    The studies aim at producing findings that can be directly implemented by a larger base of states that may have previous concerns that findings from just one test track were not directly applicable to their climate or pavement surface type. The data gathered will then be used for cracking and pavement preservation research and for use by teams at each location and can be made available to other stakeholders now and in the future.

    The research being done here could change the way construction is done on road projects in the future. MnROAD is committed to providing safer, smarter, and sustainable pavements through innovative research.

    The two organization are also using a little bit of technology of their own to support the experiments. A platform from Pavia Systems is helping to enhance their joint research efforts. The system also enables the sharing of data and research to others. This includes sharing photos, videos and more.

    The end result will be greater innovation in road construction projects in the future, as the partnership and technology will provide more insight into the research being done.

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    http://www.conexpoconagg.com/news/april-2018/how-technology-is-advancing-underground-infrastruc/

     

  5. Advancing Underground Infrastructure

    How Technology is Advancing Underground Infrastructure Construction

    Underground infrastructure are vital—and construction companies have new opportunities to build and maintain it with the help of technology.

    Underground infrastructure can be separated into three main areas, all of which are essential to providing services to society, especially in congested urban areas:

    1. Buried utilities such as water, electricity, gas, telecommunications and more.
    2. Foundations on buildings, bridges, etc.
    3. Underground structures such as tunnels subways, buildings, mines and more.

    Two big changes are currently happening in these areas. First, the materials used in the built environment are evolving, and second technology such as sensors, controls and robots are helping with construction, maintenance and operations.

    “Technology is playing a key role, both in terms of information-based solutions, automatic controls, and robotics,” explains Dryver Huston, professor, The University of Vermont. He adds that durable polymer pipes with less steel are becoming much more common, as is the use of high-performance concretes.

    A closer look at how utilities and tunneling technologies are advancing gives a glimpse into how underground construction will evolve in the months ahead.

    Underground Utilities: A Closer Look

    Underground utilities consist of a network of conduits including water mains, sewer pipes, phone, cable and power electrical circuits. Putting the pipes underground has many advantages, but one large disadvantage—underground pipes are out of sight and often neglected, according to Steven Folkman, professor, Utah State University.

    Today, water and sewer systems in many cities are decaying and water main breaks are becoming more common. The University’s Buried Structures Laboratory recently published its second study on break rates of water pipes. The research shows that there were 23,803 pipe failures that needed repairs and that break rates have increased 27 percent in the past six years.

    Break rates for cast iron (CI) and asbestos cement (AC) pipes represent almost half of the installed water mains in North America, and have increased 46 percent and 43 percent, respectively, since 2012. Further, the study shows how water main failure rates for CI and AC pipes could increase exponentially.

    Folkman explains that older CI and AC pipes are near or past their expected life and need to be replaced soon. Another observation he makes is that the rate that existing pipes are being replaced is on a 125-year replacement cycle. The challenge is the typical age of a failing water main is 50 years.

    “One of the causes of failure of existing pipe is corrosion,” says Folkman. “PVC pipe and other plastic pipe are not subject to corrosion and have an expected life in excess of 100 years. The biggest problem today is funding to replace the existing infrastructure.”

    The good news is there are new pipe materials and installation methods being developed that can help in the underground construction of utilities.

    The traditional approach to new pipe installation—open cut—is where equipment digs a trench and new pipe is installed. Directional drilling has gained more popularity in the last five to 10 years.

    “This approach drills a horizontal hole and then pulls a pipe (or conduit) into the hole,” explains Folkman. “With this approach the open trench will avoid traffic disruptions. You can also use directional drilling to install pipe and conduits under rivers or other structures. Directional drilling is more expensive than open cut pipe installations.”

    Still, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of funding. With a growing amount of water main inventory that is beyond its expected life, utilities lack the funds.

    According to the results, smaller cities are having the most trouble right now with their water infrastructure, but if funding mechanisms for infrastructure investment can be developed at the federal government, this could happen at a faster pace.

    “There will be a continued trend for water main breaks and sewer system failure plaguing cities and the … financial problem of getting funds to replace old systems,” concludes Folkman. “Also look for pressures for more open competition and a transparent pipe material selection process that allow selecting a pipe that lasts a long time at a low cost.”

    Tunneling: Digging In

    Two big trends are emerging today when it comes to tunneling:

    1. The diameter and size of tunnels has grown.
    2. Tunnel boring machines leave little damage to the surrounding buildings.

    This new equipment is critical, as damage has stopped some from tunneling in the past. For instance, the Los Angeles Metro stopped tunneling for more than 20 years, according to Mike Mooney, professor, Colorado School of Mines.

    “In the past, one of the first things is a design firm would determine all existing building impacted (by the tunneling),” explains Mooney. “Now, that has gone way down.”

    Invented by James Henry Greathead, a tunnel boring machine can excavate tunnels with a circular cross section and can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. One example of this is Bertha in Washington State, which completed tunneling on the Alaskan Way Viaduct last year. This machine was specifically built for the Washington State DOT to use on the tunnel project in Seattle.

    While this is one example, tunnel boring machines give contractors a tool to tunnel in urban environments with less risk, according to Mooney.

    One example comes from The Robbins Co., which offers a number of different products for tunneling. The tunnel boring machines are designed with worker safety in mind, and the company also offers training for equipment operators.

    At the end of last year, the company announced that two of its machines are being used on the Mumbai Metro line 3 and will excavate parallel 3.5 km long tunnels between Mumbai Central and Worli station sites, passing through three intermediate cut and cover stations along the way. These are the first of a total of four machines that will be provided on the project.

    These types of machines offer new opportunities to improve worker safety on projects, while also leaving little damage to the surrounding buildings.

    Mooney says, “Education as to what is possible with tunneling grows, and owners realize with technology they can tunnel in urban environments without damage.”

    In general, underground infrastructure has evolved in terms of usage, age, condition, and the role in public and policy and planning. Further advances include digital mapping, increasingly sophisticated low-cost robotics for excavation and maintenance, distributed sensors for automated condition assessments, and advanced materials, according to Huston.

    Thus, he says, “There is great opportunities for technology developers, system integrations, and the users.”

  6. National Safety Stand-Down Week

    oin the

    National Safety
    Stand-Down

    To Prevent Falls in Construction

    May 7-11, 2018

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    Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 370 of the 991 construction fatalities recorded in 2016 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.

    What is a Safety Stand-Down?

    A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on “Fall Hazards” and reinforcing the importance of “Fall Prevention”. Employers of companies not exposed to fall hazards, can also use this opportunity to have a conversation with employees about the other job hazards they face, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies and goals. It can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall and other job hazards they see.

    Who Can Participate?

    Anyone who wants to prevent hazards in the workplace can participate in the Stand-Down. In past years, participants included commercial construction companies of all sizes, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the U.S. Military, other government participants, unions, employer’s trade associations, institutes, employee interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers.

    Partners

    OSHA is partnering with key groups to assist with this effort, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), OSHA approved State Plans, State consultation programs, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the National Safety Council, the National Construction Safety Executives (NCSE), the U.S. Air Force, and the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers.

    How to Conduct a Safety Stand-Down and FAQ’s

    Companies can conduct a Safety Stand-Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime May 7-11, 2018. See Suggestions to Prepare for a Successful “Stand-Down” and Highlights from the Past Stand-Downs. OSHA also hosts an Events page with events that are free and open to the public to help employers and employees find events in your area.

    Certificate of Participation

    Employers will be able to provide feedback about their Stand-Down and download a Certificate of Participation following the Stand-Down.

    Share Your Story With Us

    If you want to share information with OSHA on your Safety Stand-Down, Fall Prevention Programs or suggestions on how we can improve future initiatives like this, please send your email to oshastanddown@dol.gov. Also share your Stand-Down story on social media, with the hashtag: #StandDown4Safety.

    If you plan to host a free event that is open to the public, see OSHA’s Events page to submit the event details

    https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/index.html

  7. Bridge Construction as Easy as ABC

    Bridge Construction as Easy as ABC

    For construction, two big priorities on bridge projects are ensuring contractors are safe and traffic is not impacted. Many bridges being built today use accelerated bridge construction (ABC) methods to reduce risks to workers and minimize traffic interruptions.

    According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, accelerated bridge construction is a paradigm shift in the project planning and procurement approach. It involves innovative planning, design, materials, and construction methods and it improves safety, quality, durability, social costs, and environmental impacts. Specifically for the construction company, ABC helps with site constructability, total project delivery time and work-zone safety.

    Roughly one-fourth of the nation’s bridges require rehabilitation, repair or total replacement. However, that can have a social impact on mobility and safety. Common reasons to use ABC is to reduce traffic impacts and improve safety.

    One such company that uses this technique is HNTB, which is an infrastructure firm that assists clients with complex projects. This company has successfully used the technique on a number of projects such as:

    • State Route 299 over Interstate 24 in Northeast Georgia
    • The Franklin Avenue reconstruction project in Minneapolis
    • State Route 30 Bridge over Bessemer Avenue in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    • I-77 bridge deck replacement in West Virginia

    Going a step further, HNTB worked with the Transportation Research Board and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on a six-year project that resulted in the Strategic Highway Research Program Report S2-R04-RR-2: Innovative Bridge Designs for Rapid Renewal: ABC Toolkit.

    The report includes national ABC design standards, design examples and construction specifications to guide public agencies on implementation.

  8. Fall Proctection Safety Videos

    mployers looking for training materials for their Safety Stand-Down may want to use some of them many safety videos available to them.

    Here are some useful safety videos:

    A worker leaves his fall harness in his truck and doesn’t want to take the time to go and get it in the video, Fall Protection Can Save Your Life from WorkSafeBC. The piece dramatizes the consequences of not wearing fall protection — and why wearing it is the right choice every time.

    OSHA prevention videos (v-tools) contains scenes based on true stories, and might be disturbing to some people. Versions are available in English and Spanish and are accompanied by transcripts.

    Falls in Construction-Floor Openings shows how quickly falls at construction sites can happen, and what employers can do to prevent them.

    Falls in Construction/Leading Edge Work dramatizes a fall fatality and demonstrates how this particular fall hazard could be avoided.

    Falls in Construction/Fixed Scaffolds shows what happened when a worker without a fall harness who was standing on a ladder placed on a scaffold overreached while installing siding.

    Falls in Construction/Reroofing recreates a tragedy that occurred when a worker with no fall protection was reroofing on a pitched roof and lost her balance. The video than goes on to show the equipment that would have saved this worker’s life.

    In Falls in Construction/Skylights, a worker nailing shingles on a roof with guardrails around it stepped onto an unguarded skylight. It broke and he fell 15 feet to the ground, later dying of his injuries. In this case, the employer thought the guardrails around the roof were sufficient, and failed to see the danger of the unguarded skylight.

  9. Smart Helmets

    Wearables: A Look at Smart Helmets

    The progress made with mixed-reality technology and its potential to transform on-site workflows has placed increased demands on wearable technology, which comply with safety regulations.

    Tech companies continue to address the challenges, in order to help bring the emerging technology to the construction jobsite in the future.

    As one case, Trimble announced it is collaborating with DAQRI to integrate the DAQRI Smart Helmet with Trimble’s mixed-reality application suite to enable outdoor and on-site support for the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations and natural resources markets. The collaboration is part of Trimble’s Mixed-Reality Pilot Program.

    Integrating wearables devices with AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) can lead to better construction projects, as it enables greater productivity and safety at the jobsite.

    Mixed reality enables contractors to interact with digital content in the context of the physical environment. DAQRI Smart Helmet is designed to work in enterprise settings and displays realtime information based on the user’s surroundings.

    This is one case of new technology being integrated to provide solutions on the jobsite, and it is an example of what the future holds for the construction industry.

    Posted: 4/18/2017 1:36:19 PM

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  10. Tools That Talk To Your Smartphone

    Tools That Talk to Your Smartphone

    In the not-too-distant future, the tool you’re using will be able to alert you that it’s due for calibration or warn you that you are taking it into an area where its use might be unsafe. It will do this by communicating directly with your smartphone.

    Research is underway on these capabilities, which will build on a long history of tool tracking advances. Tool management first moved from ledger books and whiteboards and began taking advantage of technology with the use of barcodes in the early 1990s. Scanned with a reader, barcodes provided an efficient way to check tools out of and back into a warehouse or tool crib.

    A more recent advance is the use of RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology. A small chip, often referred to as a “tag,” is attached to a tool and can respond when energized by the beam of an RFID reader from up to 15 feet away for mid-range “passive” RFID tags and further (up to 300 feet) with larger “active” tags that have an embedded battery.

    Today, however, a technology called Bluetooth low energy (BLE) is showing great promise for tool tracking and management. Similar to the Bluetooth you might use to wirelessly connect your tablet to an external speaker for playing music, BLE lets two devices communicate, but in this case in a way that allows for considerably lower power consumption.

    Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and other operating systems and devices natively support what is marketed as Bluetooth Smart. That integration ability has developers envisioning all kinds of scenarios where tools transmit data to a smartphone or tablet to increase efficiency, enhance productivity, and improve safety for workers. For example:

    • Sharing a link to online documentation or best practices for using a tool
    • Warning a worker that a tool is not “intrinsically safe” and cannot be used in an area they are entering
    • Broadcasting its location information to eliminate the need for a worker to pick it up and scan it to verify its whereabouts

    BLE has tremendous potential to change the construction industry, both with the features we are talking about today and with functionality that has yet to be imagined.

    Don Kafka is the founder and CEO of ToolWatch.

    http://www.conexpoconagg.com/news/september-2016/tools-that-talk-to-your-smartphone/?utm_term=Tools%20That%20Talk%20to%20Your%20Smartphone&utm_campaign=Today%5Cu2019s%20Construction%20%26%20Tech%20Trends&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email&cm_mmc=Act-On%20Software-_-email-_-Today%5Cu2019s%20Construction%20%26%20Tech%20Trends-_-Tools%20That%20Talk%20to%20Your%20Smartphone