Construction of Mobile App Technology

Mobile apps increase productivity on construction sites, which is essential in the modern-day construction industry for its critical success. Mobile app technology allows engineers and contractors to make instant design changes either in AR (Augmented Reality) or a plan on their tablet. This illustrates how the industry is rapidly evolving with the help of innovation and technology. Engineers, foremen, and architects can also sketch, make changes, punch lists, give comments, make suggestions, estimate costs, and propose improvements that can be shared with anyone in the office or with a client. Construction mobile apps enable contractors and engineers to record and view activities on a jobsite, forecast weather, and calculate labor productivity. Project managers have access to project directories and can attach any changes made in drawings and punch list items to other colleagues in the office.

Development of Mobile Application Technology

Calculation is one of the key aspects of construction mobile applications, allowing for BOM (Bill of Material) calculation and measurements of volume, area, Pythagorean theorem applications, stack functions, and continuous measurement. Construction mobile devices have transformed from survey tools to onsite inspection tools, becoming a productive asset within the construction industry. These construction mobile apps have helped many construction companies save money and enhance effective collaboration between clients and suppliers, site workers, and customers, leading to increased productivity and efficiency. Engineers or architects can upload or download plans in digital form as they work or send them by email to colleagues or project managers. Work routines can be scheduled using the construction mobile app, enabling site managers to easily know how many workers are onsite or who is absent, helping companies save on labor costs.

Mobile apps are also a prime solution for tracking labor hours and equipment in the field. While they offer these advantages, they can also be integrated with other platforms where documents can be shared through SharePoint, Dropbox, and Google Drive. It is a great tool that can help reduce project delivery inefficiencies. According to Sage Software, the majority of construction mobile apps are used for accessing customer and job information (48%), followed by drawings, schedules, photos, and documents (47%), daily field reports (approximately 38%), job cost and project reports (36%), and time capture and approval (30%) (Sage Software, 2021).

Documentation and Measurement in Construction

Documentation and measurement play a major role in the construction industry. They help streamline processes and update vital information on the jobsite. Architects and engineers can document information in real-time without any hassle or leaving the construction site. Furthermore, the foreman or project manager can review and make changes, ensuring all necessary information and updates are amended before the workers leave the site. This helps to eliminate any impending hazards on the jobsite and improve information sharing and corrections, greatly advancing productivity and efficiency. In the construction industry, measured drawings are fundamental. They serve as the formalized product of documentation, helping architects and engineers have a blueprint and information they can work with. These documented drawings allow engineers or architects to observe, analyze, measure, and interpret easily. Documentation can ease the evaluation of measurement records made by workers, promoting greater efficiency when engineers and architects are assigned different consignments. Construction mobile apps are categorized based on a variety of functions, with some of the most relevant functionalities including room plan creation, issue and task management, annotation, data collection for quotation and invoicing, and calculation (Smith, 2022).

Laser Distance Measurement

Today’s differentiation of our laser-meter tools is mainly based on interior or exterior applications. Even considering the big variety of functions already available with our current tools, we often lack very trade-specific functionalities. With the current market trend of Bluetooth connectivity to external apps and software, measurements and documentation have helped increase the productivity of the construction industry. It is vividly clear that documentation prepares workers to successfully complete their tasks onsite and maintain progress. This also helps decrease the effort required to produce measurements and calculations that support the final contract records upon project completion. Project engineers are usually responsible for ensuring that documentation and accurate measurements are conducted and recorded during construction projects.

Distance measurement is a crucial part of our everyday lives globally. It is used in almost all disciplines, such as engineering, scientific research, and infrastructure. This highlights the importance of laser distance meters in helping us progress and work efficiently in various fields. A Laser Distance Meter uses a laser beam to send a pulse of light to a target, measuring the distance of the targeted object and the time it takes for the pulse to be reflected. Laser distance meters provide a convenient way to add, subtract, and calculate areas, volumes, and trigonometry of a distance, unlike the conventional tape measurement method. Due to the high speed of light it transmits, it is more accurate than an ultrasonic laser meter (Johnson, 2023).

Principles of Laser Distance Measurement

The basic principle behind a Laser Distance Meter (LDM) is that it emits a pulse of light to a targeted object. A laser beam is reflected by a beam splitter, which then generates a sinusoidal signal with constant amplitude and phase using two prisms on a photodiode. The avalanche photodiode detects the reference of the signal beam, which then acts as a phase measurement of the signal coming from the detector. This process converts the measured time to distance.

In conclusion, the integration of mobile apps and advanced technologies like laser distance meters in the construction industry has significantly enhanced productivity and efficiency. These tools provide essential functionalities that streamline processes, improve collaboration, and ensure accurate documentation and measurements, ultimately contributing to the successful completion of construction projects.

References

• Johnson, M. (2023). Advancements in Laser Distance Measurement Technologies. Engineering Innovations Journal.
• Sage Software. (2021). Construction Mobile Apps: Usage and Benefits. Sage Construction Reports.
• Smith, A. (2022). Documentation and Efficiency in Construction. Construction Management Review.