Hong Kong is moving into the 5G era. Providing more than just a faster internet speed, 5G will help develop the Internet of Things (IoT), with its low-latency advantage, and bring about major changes for different industries. In recent years, SHKP’s Construction Department has partnered with SmarTone to implement smart management at the 98 How Ming Street construction site. It incorporates new technology, such as artificial intelligence, image analytics, cloud and IoT, to provide a new understanding of site works.

Comprehensive online management

KM Chan, Project Manager of the Construction Department, said that the department’s Information Technology team developed a Construction Management System to put smart management into practice. Documents such as drawings, project information, construction plans and methods, and paperwork with consultants can be uploaded to the cloud for processing. This facilitates more convenient data retrieval and helps promote a paperless office. Through mobile phones or computers, staff can gain cloud access to construction progress reports, 360-degree and time-lapse site photos, workers’ attendance records, power consumption analysis of large equipment, the hand tool inventory system with QR codes, and other assets. This significantly boosts management efficiency and allows staff to keep better track of construction progress.

Implementing the SmartWorks solution

The site at 98 How Ming Street also uses SmartWorks, a solution developed by SmarTone and the first-prize winner in the construction safety category in the 2019 CIC Construction Innovation Awards. Nick Yau, Technical Sales Manager at SmarTone, explained that the solution equips workers with a smart helmet, which allows supervisors to keep track of the time workers enter and exit the site and check their real-time health condition through IoT sensors and GPS tracking. The smart helmet also has an emergency button, which can send an SOS signal automatically or manually by the workers in the event of an accident.

SmartWorks also features a danger alert and access control functionality to allow supervisors to predefine controlled areas and ensure that all workflows comply with the safety regulations. To enhance safety at the site, a radar system installed on heavy machines sets off an alert if someone gets too close, while facial recognition and smart video analytics ensure that only authorized personnel can enter a restricted area. All dump trucks are equipped with GPS trackers to fully automate the recording and monitoring of traffic routes. Image-recognition technology records registration plate numbers, checks whether the back of dump trucks are covered properly, and ensures that the dump truck disposes of construction waste at the designated location.

KM Chan added that smart transformation at the construction site has helped improve the efficiency of the workforce. He said that SHKP will continue to adopt new technologies to enhance product quality, construction efficiency and safety at its construction sites.