Improving data communication on construction sites via LoRaWAN

Easily-accessible and reliable data communication in construction processes ensures high building quality, efficient workflow and secure working environments. The setup of network infrastructure on construction sites provides the necessary condition for timely and effective data communication. This paper researches a solution for on-site networking by implementing an IoT network on a reference construction site in Germany. In contrast to high-cost and high-bandwidth network infrastructure, a Long Range Wide Area Network–LoRaWAN with low cost and low bandwidth was deployed on the site. With additional IoT servers and LoRa-enabled devices, the reference construction site is able to communicate remotely with a robotic lab. In order to validate this concept of LoRaWAN on construction sites, an intra-site logistics and task scheduling system was developed to test the network performance. This paper conducts a preliminary study on the application of the IoT network technology–LoRaWAN in the logistics automation in construction. The test results can be used as references for other automation applications, such as internet of robot, intelligent process management, decision making system, etc.