A Microsoft HoloLens augmented or mixed reality headset.
“IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE CRANE AND RIGGING SECTOR HAS SEEN DRAMATIC ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY RELATED TO LIFT PLANNING, TRAINING, DATA ANALYSIS, AND ASSET TRACKING, ALL WITH VARYING RATES OF ACCEPTANCE BY END USERS. “
rigging hardware or a sling. A tag can be read from several feet away and does require a direct line-of-sight to be tracked. InfoChip, for instance, enables users to manage the certification, tracking, and inspection of assets “from cradle to grave.” Other technology in pretty early stages shows a lot of
promise in asset tracking, continues Benham, who likes Spot-r by Triax, which utilizes zone-based location management to mitigate operational and safety risks. He says the technology holds a lot of promise in worker safety and productivity tracking. Redpoint Positioning’s real-time asset and people tracking technology uses network anchors which form a self- localizing, self-calibrating, and self-healing infrastructure. Tis technology solution has a lot of promise, but the company’s CEO departed this spring.
Robotic total station
and laser verification RTS is a no-brainer for all rigging operations, Benham says, and laser scanning is a no-brainer for construction verification. “Tere’s always the question of ‘Where do I put this stuff, how do I line it up, and did I put it in the right place?’” For layout and verification, RTS and laser scanners are essential; visualization is critical for the 4D process; and Synchro software is key for creating a video of the entire construction process you’re about to engage in. “Where cranes
32 MAY–JUNE 2017 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
are concerned, with 4D BIM, you can place your cranes and sequence their operations to make sure you’re not working in the same area at the same time,” he explains.
Te future looks hopeful Te volatility that follows these new technology companies, Benham says, is “typical of early-stage startups, and we’ll continue to see a lot of shakeout.” He takes it all in stride as he predicts the construction industry will continue to see “these big blows. It’s the Wild West right now. Tere is movement in more mature markets, and shakeout in less mature sectors.” He attributes much of his excitement to the belief that technology continues to dramatically change the face of crane and rigging as it improves operations, safety, training, and equipment maintenance. Benham’s “Technology Top 3” are 4D BIM; 3D scanning and construction verification; and RTS and layout. “With one-project ROI everyone should be investing in them. When you can capture the ROI in the first project you use the tool on, who cares if it becomes obsolete in a year?” Gartner’s Cross-Industry Analysis shows construction at the bottom of the list of all major industries investing in new technology. “We have to change the culture of owners, general contractors, suppliers, and subcontractors—It’s a big challenge,” he says, but the shift is not insurmountable for the crane and rigging sector, as long as the industry keeps an open mind. y
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