AsBuilt’s collaboration with Microsoft, Spark and Kiwi construction company NZ Strong has resulted in the first ever “connected construction site” in New Zealand. This combines intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Microsoft Azure cloud and Power BI technology, drone and 3D camera imaging and geolocation to make construction safer, reduce costs, enable real-time decision making and connect all project partners together in one platform covering design and construction to property management.

Surrounded on three sides by the waters of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, the Wynyard Quarter is a developer’s dream, right on the edge of the CBD. The whole precinct is a busy hive of restoration and renewal with ageing shipping, fishing and storage facilities rapidly being restored or replaced by hip restaurants, apartments, blue-chip commercial offices and entertainment venues. The impressive new Wynyard 100 development is a six-building mixed-use project at the heart of the action. Building One alone is set to feature seven levels of retail, hospitality, offices and parking with a 154-room Travelodge hotel.

Construction lead NZ Strong is no stranger to high-profile jobs, having led some of the country’s most iconic developments, including Auckland Zoo’s Te Wao Nui and Bug Lab spaces, the Chelsea Sugar Visitor Experience Centre and redevelopment of Lynnmall, New Zealand’s first shopping mall, complete with new below-ground rail station. However, the Wynyard 100 site breaks new ground when it comes to construction.

Safer working, higher productivity

Co-ordinating such a vast undertaking is understandably difficult, with many different partners and individuals needing to provide design input, manage installation and delivery, monitor conditions during construction and ensure what’s delivered is exactly what was ordered – on time, on budget and with no accidents or downtime.

The construction sector is well-known for its high risk of injury and even fatal accidents. WorkSafe reported 2,746 work-related injuries or illnesses across the New Zealand construction industry in 2018, as well as six fatalities. In the first six months of 2019, 11 Kiwi construction workers were killed.

“Having so many moving parts on site, it can be a real challenge to monitor what’s happening and which people are where at any given moment. This makes communication difficult, which leads to health and safety and compliance issues,” says Chris Hunter, a director at NZ Strong. “Every site manager wants to be able to provide a safe working environment for their team without compromising performance.”

Additional challenges are added by the fact New Zealand’s construction sector is booming, with the number of cranes in Auckland outstripping any city in the US according to figures released by the RLB Crane Index in April 2019. There’s no sign of it slowing down either – new building work is at record levels, rising 6.8 per cent in 2018. As well as ensuring workers’ safety, the pressure is on construction companies to optimise their operations, so they can deliver new buildings faster. Poor communication and responsiveness is also a factor here.

“A lot of time can be wasted waiting for equipment to arrive, working out exactly where something should be installed, fixing errors or filling out paperwork. And in any project, delays cost money. While the material waste generated on building sites is a significant issue, inefficiency is just as big a problem,” Hunter says.

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