Improving Tower Crane Productivity Using Wireless Technology

Abstract

A tower crane is one of the major items of equipment used in the construction of high-rise buildings. However, crane operators do not receive adequate information, such as the target space conditions and the material being lifted, to control the crane. This limitation degrades productivity and safety. This study describes a prototype of an advanced tower crane (ATC) equipped with wireless video control and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. With these advanced technologies, the ATC can provide the crane operator with an enhanced view of the work space and various other functions providing up-to-date material status. The ATC can also provide faster information flow with greater accuracy and improved driving efficiency. The ATC was used on a pilot construction site as a case study to test its performance. The results confirmed considerable improvement in operational speed and significantly enhanced performance in workplace safety and communication efficiency.

A virtual blind spot identification system (VIBSIM) for construction projects

“…For instance, Lee et al [32] introduced a tower crane navigation system that provided 3D information about the building, surroundings, and position of the lifted object in real time using various sensors and a building information model. A similar system was presented by Lee et al [33] who used a radio-frequency identi cation tag system developed for the T-type tower crane. Shapira et al [34] developed a wireless video camera for tower cranes that o ered a solution to the problem of blind lifts.…”

Developing RFID-Based Instruments Maintenance Management in Construction Lab

“…Jaselskis and Anderson (1995) investigated the applications and limitations of RFID technology in the construction industry, and attached read/ write RFID tags to the surfaces of concrete test that were cast from the job site to test lab. This RFID technology has been widely applied in many areas in the construction industries for the following reasons: (1) to provide owners and contractors with information to enhance operation using RFID technology (Jaselskis and 192 Tarek, 2003); (2) to propose a novel concept of " parts and packets unified architecture" in order to handle data or information related to a product carried by product itself by utilizing RFID technology (Yagi et al, 2005); (3) to apply RFID technology as a solution to problems in pipe spools, and identify potential economic benefits from adopting RFID technology in automated tracking ; (4) to apply RFID combined with GIS technology in order to locate precast concrete components with minimal worker input in the storage yard ; (5) to improve the efficiency of tracing tools and tool availability using RFID (Goodrum et al, 2006); (6) to develop mobile construction supply chain system integrated with RFID technology (Wang et al, 2006); (7) to describe a prototype of an advanced tower crane equipped with wireless video control and RFID technology (Lee et al, 2006); (8) to improve tracing of material on construction using materials tagged with RFID tags ; (9) to present strategy and information system to manage the progress control of structural steel works using RFID and 4D CAD (Chin et al, 2008); (10) to enhance precast production management system integrated with RFID application (Yin et al, 2009), and (11) to present a new methodology for managing construction document information using RFID-based semantic contexts (Elghamrawy and Boukamp, 2010). The use of technology to improve delivery process control is not a novel concept.…”

Enhancing Facility Management Using RFID and Web Technology in Construction

“…Jaselskis & Anderson (1995) investigated the applications and limitations of RFID technology in the construction industry, and attached read/write RFID tags to the surfaces of concrete test that were cast from the job site to test lab. This RFID technology has been widely applied in many areas in the construction industries for the following reasons: (1) to provide owners and contractors with information to enhance operation using RFID technology (Jaselskis and Tarek, 2003); (2) to propose a novel concept of "parts and packets unified architecture" in order to handle data or information related to a product carried by product itself by utilizing RFID technology (Yagi et al, 2005); (3) to apply RFID technology as a solution to problems in pipe spools, and identify potential economic benefits from adopting RFID technology in automated tracking ; (4) to apply RFID combined with GIS technology in order to locate precast concrete components with minimal worker input in the storage yard ; (5) to improve the efficiency of tracing tools and tool availability using RFID (Goodrum et al, 2006); (6) to develop mobile construction supply chain system integrated with RFID technology (Wang et al, 2006); (7) to describe a prototype of an advanced tower crane equipped with wireless video control and RFID technology (Lee et al, 2006), and (8) to improve tracing of material on construction using materials tagged with RFID tags . The use of technology to improve delivery process control is not a novel concept.…”