In a worst-case scenario, construction site accidents can lead to personal injuries. According to a study by the Finnish Transport Agency, excavation collapses cause 1-3 fatal accidents a year (“Danger lurks underground” research project on excavation safety. Finnish Transport Agency). By using automatic monitoring, it is possible to get real-time information and minimise the risks of these kinds of accidents. For example, information on the possible changes in an excavation’s support walls is received as soon as they take place. This way, corrective measures can be taken in time, before changes lead to accidents and damages.
Structures at construction sites do not always behave as planned, and the financial effects caused by accidents can often become significant. With automatic measuring, already small changes in the structures can be detected. This way, dangerous situations can be prevented in time before they lead to accidents. When designers receive measurement data, they can create better structural designs than before and make sure that the structures are correctly sized. Wrong sizing leads to excessive costs – with monitoring, the structures can be optimised, which decreases the expenses.
The construction site is responsible not only for its own safety, but also for the safety of the surrounding buildings and the environment. If something happens to the environment, it is not always easy to name the one who is liable to compensate. With the help of automatic measurements, the contractor can prove if their operations have caused damages to the environment of the site or not.
When using automatic monitoring, also the documentation of the measurement data is generated automatically. No one has to make the documents, as the system produces them independently. The documents can also be found from one place, which makes it easy to view them again whenever needed.
Unexpected situations like accidents can delay a construction project considerably. Automatic monitoring provides up-to-date information of ground and structure behaviour, which increases predictability. When accidents can be prevented, also delays can be avoided.
