Internet of things application for smart construction assets

Internet of things (IoT) devices allow data to be communicated efficiently using low power to a central server to report location, movement, temperature and environmental attributes. With improvements in device connectivity distance, improved link margins, reductions in IoT hardware platform costs and the availability of higher-capacity batteries, non-powered temporary construction equipment (e.g. concrete barriers) can become smart and trackable. For this study, a long-range (LoRa) sensor platform is connected through an IoT low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) to test the feasibility of tracking construction equipment related to transportation. The signal strength relative to distance is analysed along with the radio-frequency signal attenuation of the signal strength through construction materials. The preliminary results show that a commercially available LoRa sensor with an omnidirectional antenna operating on an LPWAN can transmit up to 1310 m at grade. It is expected that these types of sensor platforms can be applied to other types of non-powered construction equipment to introduce smart functionalities. From the study, it was determined that it is feasible to deploy a LoRa-based sensor network to track non-powered temporary construction equipment. The study also demonstrated that a cost-effective poly(vinyl chloride) housing could be effective after 300 freeze–thaw cycles.