Experimental study of signal behavior for wireless communication in construction

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of building components of a growing concrete structure and different building materials such as glass and steel on Wi-Fi signals propagation in a construction site. Wireless local area networks are considered effective tools to link the islands-of-communication in construction. Still, designing a Wi-Fi network that can grow with a new construction requires that one understands the performance of propagation of electromagnetic signals transmitted at 2.4 GHz. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews the theoretical behavior of electromagnetic signals when signal attenuation is caused by various construction materials changing their strengths, directions and possibly leading to total absorption. The authors used a typical building layout to conduct experimental work to measure the effect of common building features and communication technologies on signal strengths. Findings The measured data not only confirmed the theory-based predictions but also demonstrated the complexity of predicting signal propagation when obstructions inhibit the line-of-sight “travel” of electromagnetic signals. Originality/value Different to other papers, the experiments were conducted outside a concrete building mimicking the situation where the transmitter is set up at the site office.