The digitalization steps of RT's concrete element transportation project (BETK) are starting to take shape. A recent example can be found at Fira's apartment building site in Pasila, Helsinki, where the product, manufacturing and delivery information of concrete elements is stored in the RFID tags attached to them. The necessary data is available to all parties in real time and can be read from the elements even when the elements are being thought about for reuse.
Fira's Hexacon apartment building site near Tripla in Pasila is well under way, and the site has been the scene of a busy truck rally in recent months. Among these trucks, Lujabeton's prefab deliveries have also arrived at the construction site, the likes of which have not been seen anywhere else in Finland before.
RFID tags have been molded into some of the wall elements, which store all the product and manufacturing information about the element in question. With the help of the tag, the journey of the element can be followed through the entire transport chain from the factory to the construction site, and the tag also contains information about the exact installation location.
When arriving at the Pasila construction site, the trucks are the first to drive through a kind of "digital gate". In it, the reader devices register the delivery as having arrived and transmit the information stored in the RFID tag to the cloud service. In this way, the construction site and its project management also get a real-time situational picture of what kind of elements the cargo in question contains and where they should be installed according to the plans.
This information is also useful when unloading cargo, as it makes the internal logistics of the construction site as well as the lifting, installation and inspection work of the elements more efficient. RFID tags are attached at the factory to the ends of the elements, from which they can be easily read at the loading, unloading and installation site, and later also in the frame of the building.
An important step forward
Pasila's pilot is part of RT's development project, the goal of which is to digitize the entire supply chain of concrete elements, from the design table to the construction site and to possible demolition and reuse.
The BETK (Concrete Elements Transport Chain) project aims to improve the entire construction process, its internal information flow and the transparency of supply chains. At the same time, we learn to use digital tools and the just-in-time production philosophy, which has already become common practice in the technology industry.
BETK project manager Teemu Alaluusuan according to the digitalization of the construction industry has progressed in the right direction in recent years, but the pace has been too leisurely.
Of course, information related to an individual element is transferred by means of e-mails, photos, drawings and text messages, for example. However, supply chains are mostly manual and information does not flow sufficiently smoothly and in real time between the different parties of the project.
The challenge is highlighted especially in problem or error situations on the construction site. Has the wrong product label been accidentally glued to the element, or has it come off completely along the way? And does the information about possible quality, design or measurement errors reach the parties involved well enough? How smoothly do the complaints made during the element check rounds progress? What is the schedule for replacing defective elements and what does the delay mean for the rest of the rhythm of the construction site?
According to Alaluusua, the fact that the extreme ends of the supply chain can be the designer's workplace and the hardware store's service desk is an additional challenge.
"With the help of digital identification in supply chains, instead of stickers, real-time monitoring can be achieved. At the same time, information is accumulated, with which processes can be developed to be even better and more efficient", summarizes Alaluusua.
The RFID tag gives extra power to the construction site
Fira's production engineer Tuomas Kekin according to the RFID tag and the identification code it contains are the key to collecting data from the journey of an individual element all the way to the finished building. However, information systems and architecture are needed in the background, so that information can flow digitally between different parties.
"In practice, the construction site receives the element's plan images and numbers, as well as location information during transport, with one push of a button. Quality observations and deviations can also be recorded electronically. This saves time and effort and reduces errors", summarizes Kekki.
It is also said that a significant advantage is that the information in the RFID tag is preserved for decades and, at best, for the entire life cycle of the element.
"This also facilitates and enhances the recycling of elements. From the recorded data, you can immediately see what kind of elements the demolition site has and where they could still be used," adds Kekki.
Fira and Lujabeton's Hexagon site digital project is the first of its kind. The pilot site in question will have a total of ten wall elements with RFID tags. The site is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2025.
The continuation is already coming in the direction of Tampere, where NCC and the Kangasala factory of Parma Consolis will start a similar project in a residential apartment building this September.
Text: Timo Sormunen