Today, there is a great focus on sustainability and the green transition - also within the construction industry. But how do you promote sustainable construction? Several parts of the industry are pointing towards digitalization as an effective method of making construction more sustainable. IoT solutions in particular, based on data collection and a focus on digitizing and streamlining processes, seem to be gaining ground. This suggests that the IoT will be a regular and fixed part of the construction industry in the future.
This article contains:
- Sustainability and CO2 emissions in construction
- Sustainable materials in the construction industry
- Increased digitization and use of IoT
- IoT as part of the sustainable construction of the future
- IoT eases the workload in construction
Today, there is a significant focus on sustainability and the green transition. In Denmark, the government has set a number of goals to reduce the country’s total CO2 emissions towards the long-term goal in 2050, where Denmark should be a climate-neutral society. Here, construction is mentioned as one of the areas where CO2 emissions can be reduced, as buildings today account for as much as 40 percent of Denmark’s total energy consumption.
Part of the construction industry’s CO2 emissions stem from the buildings’ energy consumption in connection with heating, ventilation as well as lighting and appliances. But a large part of the CO2 emissions also comes from the materials used in the construction of our buildings.
Therefore, it makes sense to focus on using more sustainable materials with a low CO2 footprint.
We know that wood is a more sustainable material to use compared to e.g. concrete or steel: For every 1m3 of wood used instead of the corresponding amount of concrete or steel, the atmosphere is saved by two tonnes of CO2.
For that reason, it makes sense to promote the use of wood in construction. But even though wood is a better resource for the climate than e.g. concrete and steel, many in the industry still have concerns about using it as a material in construction projects.
This is evident in SBI’s report on the use of wood in construction, which very clearly shows that there are reservations about the use of wood in relation to both construction of the building and after the building is put into use.
A large part of that resistance stems from challenges associated with moisture management and maintenance costs associated with the use of wood as a building material.
If the construction industry does not have the opportunity to protect against and deal with moisture as well as minimize maintenance costs of using wood in construction, there is not a great incentive to use the material - regardless of its sustainability properties.
Several parts within construction and sustainability point towards digitalization as a method through which construction can be made more sustainable. In a proposal by the Danish government for sustainable construction, in addition to focusing on resource and energy efficiency, emphasis was also placed on digitally supported construction as the path to more sustainable construction.
Part of the digitalization wave consists of IoT, the Internet of Things, which is based on data collection and focuses on digitizing processes in order to streamline and achieve competitive advantages.
Based on ContechLab’s report ‘Digitization as a means of sustainable construction’, it is recommended that the construction industry should look at how technology, including IoT sensors, can be used to achieve greater efficiency.
But how can the IoT remedy problems that stand in the way of sustainable construction?
At Woodsense, we have developed an IoT solution in the form of a wireless moisture sensor which monitors the amount of moisture in timber and timber structures. The sensor makes it possible to reduce resource consumption in the construction industry and streamline work processes in construction.
The intelligent sensor from Woodsense primarily monitors the amount of moisture in wooden elements. In addition, the sensor measures the surrounding environment, including humidity, temperature and precipitation, notifying you of changes or abnormal fluctuations.
It is an essential function that the sensor is aware of the surrounding environment and circumstances that can lead to moisture damage and mold growth. The sensor makes it possible to react to moisture damage before it occurs, which helps reduce resource consumption in the construction industry.
Moisture damage includes:
Since the sensor makes it possible to perform continuous moisture monitoring, existing buildings can be preserved to a greater extent, which also helps reduce resource consumption. With the intelligent moisture alarm, you receive a notification in the case of changes in e.g. moisture level, that you need to be aware of.
There are a number of advantages to using IoT solutions in the construction industry.
The intelligent sensor streamlines the work process in relation to making manual measurements, e.g. in constructions that are not easily available. The sensor can easily be mounted in both high and low risk areas.
Once the sensor is mounted, the measurements can be followed through the Woodsense platform, allowing you to monitor off-site. If the sensor is mounted on the construction site or perhaps from the factory, you can follow the measurements from factory to construction site and until finished construction.
This is a great advantage, as it makes it possible to protect against moisture and to deal with moisture issues if they occur: If you are able to take action early against potential moisture damage, or completely prevent it from occurring, you can reduce the maintenance costs associated with the use of timber as a building material.
The platform also makes it possible to extract reports that can be used for documentation in connection with quality control and insurance cases.
If you want to hear more about the intelligent sensor for moisture measurement, you can contact us here.
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