Bolsa de Madrid-listed ACCIONA that develops and manages sustainable infrastructure solutions has developed a digital earth moving platform through its Construction Technology Centre, with the initiative being a part of its commitment to innovation.
The newly launched platform provides systematic monitoring and control of the machinery used for earthmoving operations, additionally optimising the processes and improve the productivity of the projects carried out by the company.
In a statement, ACCIONA said that one of the major advantages of the digital earth moving platform has been versatility, due to the ease it can be implemented on projects carried out with its own machinery or on projects that use subcontracted machinery. The platform is compatible with any manufacturer’s machinery, ACCIONA said.
The process
Initially the data is being collected on the digital platform from monitoring all the machinery, which is done through a GPS system that can be installed on every machinery. The operator of the machine then has the option to entre different operational data using an app, which also allows to record other parameters, including consumption by installing an additional device, as well as directly extracting data from the machine through the manufacturer’s API.
In the next process the data is collected by the devices, with different events them being defined using a variety of algorithms, including the start or end of loading, allowing activities to be identified, and performance data to be calculated.
Lastly, the production, time, distance, volume, and performance data that has been processed can be analysed and displayed through a web interface, making it possible to measure progress and control the operations, as well as to generate regular customised macro reports according to the user’s needs.
Platform use
The digital earth moving platform enables comprehensive production calculation that shows the duration of different activities, the distances covered, and routes used, the volumes excavated or the moved materials, as well as many other types of data. This information is represented by graphs and tables so that it can be easily studied.
Additionally, the platform also allows users to analyse the efficiency of different subcontractors, vehicles or operating zones, as historical data can be processed and presented as performance indicators. It also allows the actual progress of each task to be compared to its initial planning, by displaying the volumes moved using a diagram showing masses.
Setting up alerts and sending notifications based on productivity thresholds or limits for other user-configured parameters are also the other major benefits of the platform.
Talking about the platform, ACCIONA Middle East construction project director, José Luis Oliván, said: “By using the earth moving platform developed by ACCIONA, users can see all of the assets in real time, including their precise location using positioning maps, as well as the status of each machine.”
“I am sure this innovative tool will be implemented very soon in our coming projects in the region, in order to optimised control of project costs and times, early detection of variations and optimising the machinery use.”
