Construction Management Report: Technological Advancement Impact

This report delves into the transformative impact of technological advancements on construction management. It explores various technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), barcode readers, GPS locator devices, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), highlighting their applications and benefits within the industry. The report examines how these technologies enhance efficiency, improve project coordination, and increase business value for construction companies. It provides an overview of each technology, explaining their functionalities and how they are integrated into construction processes. Furthermore, the report includes an example of a real construction project, demonstrating how a company leveraged technology to overcome challenges and maintain a competitive edge. The report emphasizes the importance of adapting to technological changes to ensure sustainability and achieve optimal outcomes in the construction sector. Finally, the report underscores the need for effective management and leadership in implementing these technologies to maximize their impact.

Running Head: CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
construction management
[Document subtitle]

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Abstract
Construction is the procedure of assembling and moving the equipment and materials into an
operational and completed facility. Therefore, many operations of the construction are repetitive
as they are neither performed in a fixed location nor in a fixed sequence. Form the past ten years,
the technology is impacting the construction industry, and it is very important that the companies
adapt those technologies in order to increase the sustainability and the business value. Further,
the report will help in understanding the various technologies like RFID, barcode, GPS locator
and BIM. The report will also help in understanding the impact of these technologies in the
construction management and how they are benefitting the companies of construction
management. Further, there will be an example of a construction company which will tell that
how the company used the technology in order to sustain in the competitive world and how the
company solved their issues related to the machines and equipment at a construction site.

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Technological Advancement...........................................................................................................3
 Building Information Modelling.......................................................................................3
 Barcode Readers.................................................................................................................4
 GPS Locator Devices..........................................................................................................4
 Radio Frequency Identification.........................................................................................4
Technological Advancement and Construction Management.........................................................5
 BIM and Construction Management................................................................................5
 Barcode Readers and Construction Management...........................................................5
 GPS Locator Devices and construction Management.....................................................6
 RFID and Construction Management..............................................................................6
Example of a Real Project...............................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
It has been researched that the technology can productively upgrade the integration in the
industry of construction. The nature of the market of construction and the recreated demand for
the productivity and the quality in the industry of construction are creating a problem of
integration more difficult. The construction procedures and functions of the organization can be
redesigned in order to attain the integration of various activities of the construction. Technology
has become important in the industry of construction because of the necessity of team work, the
degree of coordination, flexibility and vigorous nature of various processes of construction. The
industry of construction can effectively use communication, accessibility of data and the various
systems which are designed in order to process the data and this further helps in achieving
integration. It has been researched that the commitment of the management and their quality of
leadership helps in the effective implementation of the technologies in the construction industry.
The construction organization should understand the various factors which impacts the business
organizations i.e. internal and external while implementing the technology (Harris et al, 2013).
Therefore, implementation of technology is not only a technical refinement, but it is a managerial
decision which includes the re-engineering of various operations and functions of the
construction industry. Further, the report will help in understanding the impact of technologies in
the construction management.
Technological Advancement
The technological advancement has assisted the various organizations in order to save cost and
time during the process of production, and this has been a benefit for the organizations. Earlier
the organizations don't have enough budget to increase the profitability, but now with the help of
technology, the organizations of construction industry can achieve the competitive advantage by
increasing the business value. The technology impacts the construction management in both
ways i.e. positive and negative. Further, there are some technologies which are most commonly
used in the organizations. The technologies are as follows:-
 Building Information Modelling
BIM i.e. Building Information Modelling is understood as the 3D digital model of the building.
This model helps in the visualization of the building. A model of BIM includes the virtual
counterparts of the parts of the building. The various attributes of the digital specimen of the
elements of the building like walls, doors, windows, stairs, etc. that enable to vitalize the
building and help in understanding the behavior in an environment of the computer before the
actual process starts. There is an application of BIM which can be installed in the mobile devices
of the operators as they are using the BIM model more frequently in order to see the
visualization. The BIM model helps in creating a good visualization of a thing which is going to
be build. It gives a clear idea that how it will look after it gets completed. This helps in
comparing the actual design with the alternatives in order to get the best and cost effective result
(Chen et al, 2014). This also helps in giving an idea to the client that how the project will look
after it gets completed and they can tell the changes accordingly if required. The data in BIM
model is saved in the central place, and if any changes are made then, the entire model gets
modified automatically like the change in the plans of floors, elevations, etc. This helps in
making the documentation faster and also gives the quality assurance by developing the
coordination of various views.

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 Barcode Readers
Barcode reader is an electronic device which can read the printed barcodes. It is made up of a
very light source i.e. a lens and a sensor that transforms the impulses of optical to the electrical
impulses. The barcode readers contain the circuitry of the decoder which analyzes the image data
of barcode which is given by the sensor and then the content of the barcode is sent to the port of
the scanner's output. The barcode readers intervene the data into numbers, so it is very important
that the data is sent to a computer in order to get it converted into an understandable data. The
scanners of the barcode get connected to a computer through the port of the keyboard, port of the
serial, interface device i.e. wedge, etc. It works through the light beam over the barcode and
measures the amount of light which is reflected back. The scanner then transforms the energy of
light into the energy of electricity which is further transformed to data through the decoder and is
being forwarded to the computer. The types of barcode readers are scanners of the slot which is
used to scan the bar codes which are available on the cards of identification, devices of the
charge-couple helps in finding the errors during the scanning of barcodes, pen wands known for
the minimum cost and the durability, scanners of the image uses the video camera in order to get
the barcode’s image and then decodes it, the laser scanners makes the use of lenses and mirror’s
system to enable the scanner in order to read the barcode (Gelay et al, 2016).
 GPS Locator Devices
GPS stands for Global Positioning System and the GPS tracking is the location’s surveillance in
order to trace the location of an object. It is a constellation of 24 satellites that makes possible for
the people in order to refine their locations geographically. The equipment of GPS is very cost
effective so that everybody can get a GPS in order to access it on a tablet, smartphone or by
using the device of GPS navigation. GPS tracking is priceless for the personnel of military,
police, the businesses of courier service, etc. The systems of automatic vehicle locator are also
used. The systems of AVL contains the vehicle's network which is equipped with a receiver of
mobile radio i.e. GPS receiver, modem, and antenna. Further, the network gets connected with a
base radio that includes the computer station and the interface and receiver of GPS. The systems
of AVL are used to maximize the accountability of personnel and also increase the efficiency of
a dispatching process of a company with the help of communication and tracking. The
organizations mostly use the GPS devices in the smartphones in order to track the location of an
employee. GPS locator devices are also used by the government, advertisers, stalkers, hackers,
etc. in order to track the locations of the end users (Obradovich, M. L., 2016).
 Radio Frequency Identification
Radio frequency identification is shortly known as RFID. It is referred to the electronic devices
which include the antenna and a small chip. The chip has the capacity to carry 3,000 bytes of
data. The purpose of RFID device is similar to the purpose of the barcode readers. The RFID
device is scanned in order to retrieve the information of identification. The advantage of RFID
device is that it doesn’t require to be placed precisely to the scanner. As it is very important that
the ATM and credit cards are swiped with the help of a reader. For example, the groceries which
are purchased are placed in a bag, and the bag is further placed on the scanner. RFID device will
help in calculating a number of total purchases. This technology is available more than forty
years but there was the problem of lack of standards, and because of this, the technology was not
so popular earlier. Various organizations invested in this technology in order to trace the items.
There are some problems with the device of RFID such as the problem of reader and tag
collision. The reader collision is that when two or more reader’s signal overlap (Lavedas, T.G.,

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2012). The problem of tag collision is that when multiple tags are available in an area. But the
read time is fast, so it has become easy for the vendors to develop such a system that will enable
to tags to respond one by one.
Technological Advancement and Construction Management
The technological advancement is impacting the construction industry in a positive way as it is
helping the companies in developing efficiency and effectiveness in the operation of day-to-day
activities. The technological advancement is continuously transforming the landscape of the
industry of construction. It is very important that the companies should use these technologies in
order to sustain in the competitive world and this will further help in increasing productivity and
business value. There are some technologies which are commonly used in the construction
management and how they are impacting the construction management (Electrical, J., 2016). The
technologies are given below:-
 BIM and Construction Management
Building information modeling helps the complete project to be arranged, handled and
implemented in one location. It is taking the industry of construction to the 21st century. Earlier
multiple drawings were made and many hours were spend over the process of the light table. But
now BIM has made it very easy for the construction industry. In the BIM model, the
coordination gets started at the first phase of the process. The first step helps in bringing all the
parties together. This makes the opportunity cost effective, and it takes less time. Building
information model is basically a 3D file that embodies the various elements which are required
to make a building. BIM is similar to the document of cloud-stored text that enables people to
create view edits. The BIM model is known as the process of integrative design. The model of
BIM has the capability to be entrenched with data like a spreadsheet or database (Hardin et al,
2015). This data is further generated when the process of design gets started to like the price of a
particular material, dimensions of the wall, etc. Earlier the engineers of the construction industry
had to calculate the cost every time when they made changes or added something. BIM model
made it easy for example, as the engineers draw the walls within the model then they will be able
to get the required information related to the walls without even calculating like length, area,
cost, etc. Building information modeling helps the team of engineers remains coordinated and
integrated till the project gets completed.
 Barcode Readers and Construction Management
Barcode readers are becoming very essential in the industry of construction as it is very
necessary to trace the materials, equipment, etc. The clients of the construction are using the
barcode readers for the various activities like the materials that are received at the site of a job,
the materials which are used on the job, the transfers of material, the usage of equipment and the
fueling, scanning of the employee badge, etc. Barcode readers are very beneficial for the
construction industry as it reduces the number of errors as compare to the data which is entered
manually. The scan of the barcode is very reliable and takes very less time in entering the data.
The scanning system of the barcode readers has become very important for the data of integrity
in the construction industry as it is essential to scan the movements of each and every item. For
example, the integrated camera is used in the organization which has equipment of consumer
grade and requires the data entry of barcode occasionally (Wu et al, 2013). Therefore, the
barcode readers have become essential in the construction industry as it makes the entries of data

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very easy as compared to manual data entering. It is very important to track each and every
movement of the material and equipment, and the barcode readers make it easy to track.
 GPS Locator Devices and construction Management
GPS locator device is the very valuable tool for the businesses of the construction industry as it
helps in managing the expensive machinery like cranes, equipment of earth moving, mobiles,
trucks and the service vehicles. Therefore, the GPS locator device is used in every type of asset
in order to track them like compressors and generators. The construction industries use the GPS
locator device by installing it on the asset, and the device is roughly handled and is used in any
type of temperature and sometimes the device uses the power source of equipment and
sometimes it uses a source of power of its own as the duration of the battery is to six years. The
device of the tracking is wired to the equipment, and the information is collected like when the
machine gets started and when it gets stopped. The device is being registered with the tracking
program of GPS. The device helps in getting the update of the equipment in every two minutes.
This makes the equipment to appear on the dashboard of the tracking software of GPS. The GPS
locator devices help the construction industry in a positive way as the operators or managers can
easily track the location of the equipment and machines (Kim et al, 2013). Earlier, the managers
didn't know that where the equipment or material had reached and whether it was in good
condition or not. It was very difficult to track the equipment and materials, but GPS locator
device has made it easy for the construction industry.
 RFID and Construction Management
The RFID device is helping the businesses of the construction industry in getting a competitive
advantage and maximizes the business value. The companies of the construction industry face
the challenges of operations and asset management. The activities which are regularly done on a
construction site are like forming and developing material, managing the labor, operating
vehicle's fleet, keeping the expensive assets secured, etc. The main issues in the sites of
construction are like theft, unauthorized usage of equipment, etc. It has been researched that
radio frequency identification is a technology for tracing assets and showing the challenges of
operations as it represents the new method for the industry of construction in order to do the
business. RFID helps in improvising the accuracy and maximizes the productivity in the various
phases of the process of construction which includes, planning, building, maintaining and
operating (Kelm et al, 2013). Therefore, the companies of the construction industry are
completely utilizing the use of radio frequency identification device.
Example of a Real Project
There is an example of a company of a construction industry which used the GPS locator device
technology. The name of the company is Bovis Lend Lease. The company not only works in
U.S., but it also works in more than 90 countries. The company was established in 1885 in
London. The company has the capability to develop, construct and invest in the infrastructure
and properties and also offers solutions to the clients which are integrated and innovative. A few
years ago, the company was facing the problem of theft of machinery, and the fleet managers
were not able to manage the vehicles on the site of the construction. Then the company decided
to use the GPS locator device. The device was placed on the equipment and was wired. The
installation of GPS device locator helped the drivers of the vehicle to find the correct location of
a job site where they were supposed to deliver the equipment and materials. The managers were

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able to track the location of the equipment until they were not delivered. The installation of GPS
locator device in the vehicles helped the fleet manager or foreman to know that how fast vehicle
was moving and he was able to handle the vehicles and equipment on the construction site
effectively. This also solved the problem of theft as the managers were able to track the location
of machinery and they knew the exact position of the equipment. Therefore the GPS locator
device technology helped the Bovis Lend lease in solving the issues and now the company is
having a very high return on investment. The company is now able to provide much better
solutions to the clients related to construction and infrastructure ("US Home | Lend lease," 2016).
Conclusion
It can be concluded from the report that it is very important for the construction industry to adapt
the new technologies in order attain the competitive advantage. It has been observed from the
research papers that the construction industries are slightly slow in adapting the new technology.
All the companies should immediately start using these advanced technologies in order to solve
their problems and issues related to machines and equipment at the job sit. Further, the report
helped in understanding the various technologies like RFID, barcode, GPS locator and BIM. The
report also helped in understanding the impact of these technologies in the construction
management and how they are benefitting the companies of construction management. Further,
there was an example of a construction company which gave a clear picture that how the
company used the technology in order to sustain in the competitive world and how the company
solved their issues related to the machines and equipment at a construction site.

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REFERENCES
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applications. Automation in construction, 46, 64-73.
Electrical, J. (2016). The Importance of Technology in Construction. BostInno. Retrieved 29
September 2016, from http://bostinno.streetwise.co/channels/the-importance-of-technology-in-
construction/
Gelay, G., Hussey, R. M., & Thakkar, B. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 20,160,117,528. Washington,
DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Hardin, B., & McCool, D. (2015). BIM and construction management: proven tools, methods,
and workflows. John Wiley & Sons.
Harris, F., & McCaffer, R. (2013). Modern construction management. John Wiley & Sons.
Kelm, A., Laußat, L., Meins-Becker, A., Platz, D., Khazaee, M. J., Costin, A. M., & Teizer, J.
(2013). Mobile passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) portal for automated and rapid
control of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on construction sites. Automation in
Construction, 36, 38-52.
Kim, C., Park, T., Lim, H., & Kim, H. (2013). On-site construction management using mobile
computing technology. Automation in construction, 35, 415-423.
Lavedas, T. G. (2012). U.S. Patent No. 8,098,161. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office.
Obradovich, M. L. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,247,524. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office.
US Home | Lendlease. (2016). Lendlease.com. Retrieved 29 September 2016, from
http://www.lendlease.com/us/
Wu, W., Yang, H., Li, Q., & Chew, D. (2013). An integrated information management model for
proactive prevention of struck-by-falling-object accidents on construction sites. Automation in
Construction, 34, 67-74.