Construction Accelerator

Health & Safety and Security 

Health & Safety and Security are key in the construction sector. The safety of the workforce, and the communities it works with are at the heart of the construction business and it is continuously searching for new and improved ways to ensure workers remain safe. In complex large-scale building sites, it is critical to set up secure access control and operational monitoring systems with real-time response to minimise H&S risks. We are looking for innovators to leverage the capabilities of 5G for the following use cases.

1. Flexible perimeter control and access monitoring systems of workers, vehicles, sites and machines, including intelligent verification to the safe entry to site and operation of equipment and handling and supply of materials
2. Remote control and real-time processing of high-volume data for site inspections
3. Real-time operational tracking, risk assessment and warning systems of workers and drivers to ensure worker safety and mitigate potentially unsafe behaviours

Currently different solutions are used including CCTV, sensors, wearables, as well as manual certification, but the turnaround is not in real-time and the system cannot be moved easily from one site to another. We would be looking for devices and solutions that provides wireless and touchless verification and control, remote & real-time monitoring and response and the ability to make more timely informed decisions through real-time assessment of safety risks by using multi-access edge computing, unmanned aerial vehicles, AI and computer vision enabled by 5G to:

• Check workers have the correct authorisation and PPE to enter the site, including entrance to high-risk areas and designated walkways, as well as to operate specific machinery.
• Check vehicles or delivery trucks have the correct authorisation before entering the site, and following designated routes.
• Provide accurate remote mapping of sites and real-time data to improve inspections and briefings
• Ensure workers follow correct safety procedures and enable triggers and controls to mitigate potential unsafe practices and real-time near-miss detection

Logistics and site operations for a more sustainable future

We are looking for innovative solutions that can leverage 5G connectivity to coordinate logistics and operations around the construction sites and that will deliver real value for all partners – in particular our teams and the communities in which we work, while improving long-term sustainability and quality standards. These solutions should optimise efficiency, accuracy and productivity and minimise waste through the following use cases:

1. Wayfinding: optimisation of tracking, management and distribution of construction materials arriving at sites.
2. Worker assistance: AR for remote site simulation and daily briefing.
3. Mobility: automated and autonomous vehicles for accurate highway maintenance and surfacing operations with real-time adjustments as well as on site operations
4. Quality control and productivity monitoring to reduce unnecessary delays and interruptions, and build dynamic scheduling capabilities

The proposed solutions could leverage augmented reality, computer vision, IoT, AI and robotics to:

• Allow for a seamless journey from booking to delivery of construction materials to the appropriate location, with real-time monitoring and adaptability.
• Allow for visual simulation and verification during different phases facilitating project planning and progress reviews, for example during the initial construction phase to check the positioning of different infrastructure elements, such as roads or tunnels.
• Provide wayfinding and enable enhanced proximity-based content.
• Enable immersive point of work briefings to workers and increase workers engagement.
• Improve environmental performance and monitoring of carbon footprint, air quality, noise contamination, etc.
• Validation of specific processes and remote control of activities to ensure projects comply with quality requirements
• Real-time progress reporting and updates from the sites
• Ensure real-time view of the machines’ production status and data is tracked and analysed
• Freight and logistics ‘control tower’: Digital twin, artificial intelligence, and augmented decision-making
• Supply optimisation for major infrastructure projects
• Automation of certain workflows and operations.

Other use cases 

​Our partners are also interested in transformative use cases and innovative solutions in construction, mobility and infrastructure management and maintenance, and welcomes
applications from start-ups and SMEs with innovations in these additional areas. These could include leveraging 5G to enable accurate, regular surveys of the construction sites and predictive maintenance of machinery, remote tracking of highway asset condition and performance monitoring, air quality monitoring of key highways and sites amongst others.