Skanska awarded £200K to develop technology to track infrastructure assets

So-called ‘digital tag and track’ innovation should boost the future efficiency of construction in the UK. Skanska project leader Ian Brixey explains.

Antony Oliver
20 August 2015

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Contractor Skanska was this week awarded a £200,000 funding package as part of a £1M project to drive forward research into real-time tracking of infrastructure asset components.

The so-called ‘tag and track’ systems use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and barcodes to digitally identify individual components and so help to boost efficiency across the entire lifecycle of infrastructure assets.

"We intend to get to a stage where the ‘marking’ of project components facilitates real-time monitoring of the manufacturing process, delivery to site, storage and installation." Ian Brixey, Skanska

The two-year research programme is being co-funded by a grant from Innovate UK for over £500,000. Skanska will receive just over £200,000 of this grant towards its project costs of approximately £400,000.

Skanska will work alongside partners BRE, Multiple Access Communications Limited and Leaderflush Shapland to develop the research.

The research project will look at methods of tagging different aspects of a construction project throughout its life, capturing data from multiple supply-chain partners in a standard format that is consistent for all.

Ian Brixey, Skanska principal consultant and project lead said the outcome of the project has the potential to have a big impact on the entire construction and maintenance processes used by the industry.

“By using the latest digital techniques, we intend to get to a stage where the ‘marking’ of project components in the form of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags/barcodes facilitates real-time monitoring of the manufacturing process, delivery to site, storage and installation.

Ian Brixey, Skanska principal consultant and project lead explains how the research will develop.

Interview by Antony Oliver

This technology is quite established - what will this research set out to achieve?

The two-year research programme will look at methods of tagging different aspects of a construction project throughout its life, capturing data from multiple supply-chain partners in a standard format that is consistent for all.

It aims to demonstrate the benefits of real-time whole life tracking, from the point of manufacture through delivery, installation, operation and maintenance – all linked to a BIM environment. 

What is Skanska's specific role in the project?

As lead partner on the project, our aim is to establish a collaborative working environment that will provide the best possible opportunities for the technology to be trialled. 

Working with our project and supply chain partners, we will be designing scenarios, schemes and process maps for the trial. Our aim is to develop a workable user-friendly system at the end of the project. 

Is the challenge one of technology or of culture and behaviour?

The challenge is one of both technology and culture.

Our aim is to pull the best technology together in a manner that can be applied across a wide range of suppliers with different capabilities. Then it’s about getting the right culture and behaviours to implement the processes.

We need to make sure that there are benefits for the supply chain and contractors – and ultimately for clients too. 

You are looking to work with partners - will this be based on extending work with your existing supply chain or with new partners?

We work with a wide range of supply chain partners, so the scope is significant. 

It’s important to us that the approach and methodology we develop as part of this pilot project are shared across the industry, meaning the benefits can be applied as widely as possible. 

Are there models from other industries to embrace?

There is the potential to learn from various industries, including the parcel delivery industry, aerospace and automotive.

In the parcel delivery business, items can be tracked all the way to the front door; aeroplanes have sophisticated referencing systems and in automotive the technology is well-established. 

What do you perceive as the barriers to the infrastructure embracing this kind of technology?

The challenges are to make the system straightforward so that the whole supply chain on projects can adopt the approach, whatever their IT technical capabilities.

What are the potential savings or efficiencies that you see this technology adding to the 20% target?

The pilot could help develop significant project-based efficiencies for the industry. This includes reductions in delays for getting construction components to site, reduced risks of defects and re-work and improved quality control. This all contributes to time and cost savings. 

What is the role of clients / asset owners in this project?

If the technology is embraced, it will allow the benefits to flow to the operation and maintenance stage of a project.

What are the milestones for the project?

We will be looking at potential trials with our project and supply chain partners. 

Our plan to have pilot projects identified and ready to start in summer 2016, with completion early 2017. The study will conclude in April 2017. 

Throughout the life of the pilot scheme we will be working with Innovate UK who will monitor and track progress.