Beyond Webcam: A Site-Web-Site for Building Construction

The use of project website and web cam technology in the construction industry is limited to providing basic information about the project and 24/7 pictures of the site. This paper discusses the promises of a site-based website that serves as the central hub for real-time communication, monitoring, and control in building construction. Such a website offers opportunities that go further beyond what is in use today. The paper lists a series of possible applications that have been tested at several construction sites in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition to helping contractors plan and control the resource flow in real time the site-web-site is also used as a tool for creating daily reports, rapid problem solving, remote inspection, productivity measurement, on site security, communicate with on-site equipment (e.g., in emergencies), and to create visual as-builts.