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Can you remember when construction sites, site managers, and workers alike were on their own, completely disconnected from the home office or other stakeholders? Any questions or needs meant jumping into a truck and heading back to the office or the nearest materials vendor. Not so now, with modern construction needs. 

As the construction industry moves into 2021, modern construction site requirements have reached the pinnacle of technology. Efficiency and productivity, safety, operations, and so much more rely on information and instant communications. The Internet and reliable connectivity for numerous devices have quickly become necessary for every construction site. 

Modern Construction Needs 

Just as excavators, power saws, and even pickup trucks did not exist on construction sites 100 years ago, new technologies are enabling today’s construction companies to do more, better, faster, and safer than ever. Here’s some examples of how modern construction needs are depending on the Internet and reliable networking. 

Improving Productivity 

Every construction project and site is unique, with its own set of challenges, risks, and tasks. Increasing productivity and streamlining processes become a huge challenge. Today, there are mobile solutions and software to help manage virtually every aspect of a construction site. 

Machinery, augmented reality (AR), and IoT devices like drones are drastically changing the level of productivity on job sites. The Internet and reliable access to cloud computing are enabling this rise in productivity. What does that look like? 

For example, sensors installed on materials and equipment can now track how everything moves across the entire construction site. AI is used to record data sets from these movements and analyze how workers move about and interact with the site. Then, this data is used to develop solutions that increase accessibility by reorganizing tool and material placements. Easier and faster accessibility means reduced downtime and better productivity. 

Safety

OSHA statistics confirm that construction is one of the most dangerous industries in which to work. One out of every five worker deaths in the U.S. is construction-related. Non-fatal injuries cost companies millions of dollars each year in a work stoppage and lost productivity, plus the effect it has on your human workforce. 

Digitized safety mechanisms are making a difference, allowing companies to collect data on work processes, collaboration, and decision-making. This data is analyzed to determine better safety protocols and worker safety training. Apps can help site managers track every member of the construction team in real-time, manage traffic and material deliveries, and more. 

For example, someone drops a tool that causes a disruption in a process on the site. An app can notify everyone in the company what occurred with any relevant details, including a reminder to those in similar work situations to secure tools and equipment and review related safety policies. 

Operations

Modern construction needs have moved out of the office and into actual on-site operations with mobile applications that improve measurements, precision placement of objects with GPS, real-time inspections, and more. This moves beyond individual technology to robots and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Automated drones and ground-based site rovers can be equipped with high-definition cameras and LiDAR to scan and make an accurate photographic record of the construction site each day. Then, AI can assist managers with comparing this data against models and the construction project schedule to inspect productivity and quality.

Drones can even be programmed to inspect and count material inventories each day to keep up with existing inventory and inform managers when supplies are needed.  

Reliable Internet Connectivity with Dedicated Wireless 

Modern construction needs require reliable Internet availability on-site to meet these and other critical demands. Often, construction sites make fiber or broadband connections impossible; cables or other infrastructure can be easily damaged or otherwise compromised. Plus, remote sites may not be near existing networks. 

Dedicated wireless Internet is the solution for many modern construction sites that need Internet connectivity. Towers and point-to-point microwave radios provide secure, reliable, and easily installed Internet access to connect your construction site to the outside world. Create a temporary site network for the length of the project that allows full access for modern construction needs, or connect to an existing wireless network nearby. 

Contact MHO to inquire about how dedicated wireless Internet can facilitate the modern construction needs of your next project.