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Review
. 2022 Nov 10;22(22):8685.
doi: 10.3390/s22228685.

A LoRaWAN Multi-Technological Architecture for Construction Site Monitoring

Mattia Ragnoli  1 , Davide Colaiuda  1 , Alfiero Leoni  1 , Giuseppe Ferri  1 , Gianluca Barile  1   2 , Marianna Rotilio  3 , Eleonora Laurini  3 , Pierluigi De Berardinis  3 , Vincenzo Stornelli  1   2
Affiliations
Review

A LoRaWAN Multi-Technological Architecture for Construction Site Monitoring

Mattia Ragnoli et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

It is necessary to ensure safety in terms of health and accidents through the real-time monitoring of the construction site environment and workers. This problem has become of great importance due to the economic and social implications. Therefore, a sensor-based approach has been found to be beneficial in Building Information Modeling (BIM). Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technologies are well-suited for the deployment of monitoring systems. A suitable technical solution for node communication in a WSN is Long Range (LoRa) modulation technology. In this study, an autonomous LoRa-based system for the monitoring of a construction site in Lungro, Calabria, Italy, is presented. The spatial monitoring of working personnel is achieved by employing a tracker device with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Accesses of personnel and gear to the site are registered using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags equipped with protective gear. Fixed-position solar-powered sensor nodes are also employed for structural monitoring, i.e., movement sensors are used to monitor the variation of scaffolding, building structures, and under-work housing inclinations. Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) gateways interface with the nodes and the internet for data exchange, enabling an Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm for the monitoring solution. A comprehensive overview of the workers and structural nodes, along with the RFID access management system and LoRaWAN gateway features, is provided in this article. A description of the web interface is also reported.

Keywords: Internet of Things; LoRa; MEMS; RFID; building information modeling; construction site monitoring; energy harvesting; remote monitoring; wireless sensor network.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
LoRaWAN IoT network general architecture.
Figure 2
Figure 2
System architecture scheme.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) A structural node mounted on the side of a scaffolding installation and (b) on an entrance gate. (c) An RFID tag inside a worker’s helmet.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gateway mounting position.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Structural node block scheme.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Structural node operation flow diagram.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Structural node battery current absorption measured during an activity cycle.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Worker tracking node operation flow diagram in normal mode.
Figure 9
Figure 9
RFID gate access node block scheme.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Site entrance monitoring system operating diagram.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Gateway system block scheme.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Structural node monitoring dashboard.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Tracker node monitoring dashboard.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Inclination variation measured from a scaffolding element movement.
Figure 15
Figure 15
RFID node monitoring dashboard.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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