Kan, C; Fang, Y; Anumba, C J and Messner, J I (2018) A cyber-physical system (CPS) for planning and monitoring mobile cranes on construction sites. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 171(6), pp. 240-250. ISSN 17514304
Abstract
Various ways of improving mobile crane safety on construction sites have been introduced and adopted, such as visualisation of mobile crane operations, algorithm-based lift planning and spatial conflict identification. However, these focus only on either planning or monitoring aspects - there is no effective method for planning and monitoring mobile crane operations consistently with real-time control feedback. Developments in information technology, notably cyber-physical systems, are changing the way that planning and monitoring can be done. This paper explores the applicability of such systems to mobile cranes on construction sites. A five-layer system architecture is proposed, and the key components and the enabling technologies in each layer are investigated. The potential benefits and barriers in the implementation of the proposed system are also highlighted. By enabling bidirectional communication and coordination between physical components and their virtual representations, the system offers advantages in managing mobile cranes in such a way as to facilitate effective planning, proactively monitor crane operations, provide rich multimodal feedback to crane operators and, ultimately, avoid mobile crane failures and mobile-crane-related accidents.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communications & control systems; information technology; safety & hazards |
| Index terms: | construction site, visualization, information technology, time control, system architecture, control system, implementation, coordination, crane operator, monitoring |
| Subjects: | practitioner, design theory, contractual arrangements, control systems, computing systems, work location, monitoring and control, management, design practice, project controls |
| Topics: | Procurement, Engineering Principles, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Time Control, Organizational Design, Site Management, Design Practice, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here