Performance Assessment of Wireless Data Capture inConstruction

The tenet of TQM is the use of measurements to monitor an operation in order to avoid poor quality outputs. The construction faces unique barriers to utilize effective technologies to capture critical process data in real time. This paper presents the results of extensive field testing of wireless systems to study the effect of the “noisy” environment on sensing and signal propagation. The findings confirmed the hypothesis that construction activities and equipment impact the performance of such networks. In an experimental application on site, ZigBee network to collect data about temperature at pre-designed locations was integrated with an off-site station. Working with the system led to the conclusion that ZigBee is a viable technology to be implemented on the construction site, reliable and easy to use. The concrete crew receiving real time data on temperature from the embedded sensors were delighted as they have never been provided with such new and important information before.