Real-time monitoring of construction sites: Sensors, methods, and applications

The construction industry is one of the world's largest industries, with an annual budget of $10 trillion globally. Despite its size, the efficiency and growth in labour productivity in the construction industry have been relatively low compared to other sectors, such as manufacturing and agriculture. To this extent, many studies have recognised the role of automation in improving the efficiency and safety of construction projects. In particular, automated monitoring of construction sites is a significant research challenge. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent research on the real-time monitoring of construction projects. The review focuses on sensor technologies and methodologies for real-time mapping, scene understanding, positioning, and tracking of construction activities in indoor and outdoor environments. The review also covers various case studies of applying these technologies and methodologies for real-time hazard identification, monitoring workers' behaviour, workers' health, and monitoring static and dynamic construction environments.