The secrets to improving sustainability and reducing construction time to be uncovered at Digital Construction Week 2019

At this year’s Digital Construction Week, visitors are invited to attend speaking slots led by Helen Frape, Business Analyst for Innovation and Change at GCP Applied Technologies.

The talks will uncover how the construction industry can harness the latest technology innovations to fast-track logistics while reducing fuel, emissions and waste on-site.

When it comes to managing ready mix concrete in-transit, opinion and personal judgement are often used to inform decision making at critical process points – largely due to the absence of any facts or data.

With the latest innovations in technology, however, this could soon be improved. IoT connected sensors can be used to monitor, measure and manage critical properties, enabling visibility of the concrete and truck at all times during the delivery cycle, thus ensuring that the concrete is ready to pour on arrival.

Improving sustainability credentials

Controlling concrete slump in transit has always been an impossible task for the construction industry, as a result multiple trucks delivering to the same site can deliver an inconsistent product.

The readymix industry expends significant resources to produce a well-designed, accurately batched mix. Once the concrete is in the truck and en route all control and visibility ends, the load is susceptible to change over time and from uncontrolled water additions, which are notoriously subject to human error.

Recent case studies from concrete producers show that by managing the concrete slump to a target during the delivery cycle, all interested parties can gain access to this never before seen data in real time. This enables improved slump control and removes uncontrolled water additions; mixes can be optimised to meet the same design characteristics at lower cement contents, reducing cost, risk and CO2.

Speeding up construction times

Delivery cycle times for loads delivered using the IoT connected sensors, are lower than traditional delivery methods as there is no need to adjust concrete at site before use. All truck movements across delivery phases are available for analysis alongside concrete properties.

For more information, contractors and engineers can attend GCP’s speaking slots at Digital Construction Week at the following dates and times:

• Digitally delivered Readymix concrete, speeding up construction (16 Oct 2019, 13:30 – 14:00, Innovation Stage)
• Improving sustainability: Managing readymix concrete in-transit (17 Oct 2019, 12:30 – 13:00, Innovation Stage)