Making construction happen on time requires good construction monitoring. 

Without this constant monitoring, all the effort put into planning can be in vain as various deviations can go unnoticed. Unfortunately, they greatly compromise the schedule and cost of the project.

The good news is that with the help of construction technologies, such as Construct IN, these challenges can be easily overcome. 

Read on to learn more about the subject. By the end of the article, check out: 

• What is construction monitoring?

• Why do construction monitoring?

• Step-by-step on how to do it

• Essential technologies for construction monitoring

• How to do construction monitoring with Construct IN?

 What is construction monitoring?

Construction monitoring serves to constantly verify if what was planned is actually being executed on site. And, if necessary, to take preventive and corrective actions to keep the project on the right track.

Why do construction monitoring? 

The construction phase is unpredictable, meaning many things can happen along the way: 

• Change in the sequence of work execution;

• Rain, floods, and other climatic factors;

• Delays in the delivery of materials;

• Discovery of missing or excessive activities in the initial planning.

Monitoring progress prevents the project from deviating significantly from what was planned and offers various benefits, such as: reduction of delays in construction, cost control, high quality standard, among others.

Step-by-step on how to do it

1. Follow the baseline planning

It is the approved planning that serves as a reference for the entire execution of the project. 

Furthermore, it is essential for comparing what was thought with what is being done and quickly identifying if the project is on schedule. 

The Baseline also helps in making decisions to correct the course when necessary, as no plan is immune to changes.

2. Status dates

It is important to set specific dates (called status dates) to assess the progress of the project. 

Monitoring begins by measuring the physical progress of the project. 

The data collection, directly from the field, is called measurement and there are several ways for the civil engineer to do this: 

• Specific units: measurement in concrete numbers, such as cubic meters of excavation, square meters of painting, delivery dates of materials, etc.

• Percentage: used when the measurement cannot be made by physical unit. In this case, it is necessary to assess the percentage of completion, such as: 70% of electrical installation, among others;

3. Update the planning 

The planning must be revised based on the reality of the construction site. Activities that are delayed need to be adjusted to new dates and those that can be expedited will have their deadlines revised. 

When updating the construction schedule, it is important to focus on the time that will still be needed to complete them realistically. Always take productivity and complexity into account.

4. Change in the critical path

When updating the planning, there may be changes in activities that directly impact the final deadline of the project (critical path). 

Those that have consumed their slack time may become part of the critical path and require more attention to avoid delays in the final deadline. 

Reviewing this after each schedule update is essential to keep the project on time.

Essential technologies for construction monitoring

Among the various technologies available for construction monitoring, 360° cameras (which can be used with our platform) stand out. 

With monitoring by 360 cameras, it is possible to capture images of the entire site in a single recording, allowing:

• Visual evidence to prove the progress of the project that can be compared with the activities in the schedule;

• Monitoring the construction from any angle, which facilitates problem detection;

• Visualization of the site by managers and stakeholders without needing to be physically present;

• Creation of a visual history of the project to generate photographic reports, verify execution or resolve future disputes.

Other technologies that complement this process include drones, project management software, Digital Twin, and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors.

- Read also: Images in civil construction for monitoring projects: how to analyze them? 

How to do construction monitoring with Construct IN?

With our project management software, you can take 360° photos of the site even without internet at the location. The images are stored and, as soon as the connection returns, they are automatically sent to our software. 

Moreover, the photos are linked to the exact location on the floor plan registered in Construct IN. And the best part: you don’t have to worry about noting the date as this is done automatically. With a few clicks, you can compare progress on different days. 

See the practical application of Construct IN with LB Incorporadora. 

Increase the productivity and efficiency of your projects today and be the next to achieve amazing results. Sign up to request a free demo of the construction management platform Construct IN!