Both ConSite & InSite represent the next generation ICT technologies

Hemant Mathur
Assistant VP,
Sales and Marketing,
Tata Hitachi

We have ensured in making IoT a standard among the construction range of machines.

How do you assess the scope and potential for digitalizing road construction?

As technology evolves and adoption rates of modern communication extend to all spheres, even the construction industry will be positively impacted. At a very basic level, computerization of drawings and use of CAD/CAM started the era of digital construction. Today, a range of technologies from drone based monitoring, machine learning, object identification and warning, improved safety devices etc. are already being used or available in construction sites - especially road construction, given its wide geographical coverage and dispersion.

Construction equipment is also equipped with advanced data logging that give real time information of the health and performance of the machines.

We believe that the digital technology in construction will evolve and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and construction management software will accelerate. All attributes of construction will be in one single place and will interact with all stakeholders, greatly improving efficiency and speed of execution, as well as cut costs.

Brief us on the innovative contributions from Tata Hitachi in revolutionising road construction through innovative digital platforms? 

As far as digitization goes, Tata Hitachi has been a pioneer in introducing the latest technologically advanced equipment in the Indian market. Tata Hitachi has migrated technology from the EX series to EX Super+ of excavators and Zaxis series to Zaxis GI series of excavators where features like online access to location of equipment, online health monitoring system, etc. have been included apart from several other improvements. In addition to this, ConSite is available in our Zaxis GI series excavators and InSite in EX Super+ series excavators, a next-generation service solution that utilizes Information Communication Technology (ICT).

The ConSite suite delivers monthly reports to customers, provides both summary reports that give an overview of the operation of all the fleet owner's machines, and furnishes detailed reports that show information about individual machines.

Further, ConSite also has remote fleet management system with our Global e - Service offering which

• allows the customer easy access to operating information real time to increase machine productivity and reduce downtime.

• is a convenient and simple system designed to give customers valuable information regarding the operations, maintenance, system parameters and alarms of their machines from the convenience of their offices.

• alarms are also reported to our support team who get into action to resolve proactively.

Given the multiple modes of operation on the machines, it can be used for precision work or mass and faster excavation, as the case maybe, with regards to the road construction job site. Customer education programs are conducted to help them infer the data and take necessary initiatives to improve site efficiency and thereby profitability. All these features lead to higher productivity and efficiency of usage of machines leading to faster construction of roads.

What are the major challenges in adopting such advanced IoT / embedded sensor based technologies   in the design and construction of roads? 

Both ConSite & InSite represent the next generation ICT technologies implemented in our construction equipment range. These technologies generate a lot of data pertaining to preventive maintenance, utilization, monitoring, location and geo-fencing, reports etc. and ConSite generates monthly reports / alarm reports to stakeholders for quick onsite support. This way big data is made useful to our end customers through dashboards that are meaningful to them.

There are challenges in the field that are related to primarily two areas - regulatory and customer acceptance. Given the plethora of products by different OEMs in this space, it is a challenge to integrate these data systems into a standard system template that can take the utility of data to the next level, like that in construction management system.

Further most customers are still in the early stages of using smart phones / digital literacy to leverage next generation data systems and will continue to remain a challenge apart from using on a standalone basis.

How supportive are the existing codes and specs in the adoption of such advanced technologies?

In our line-up of products, we have ensured in making IoT a standard among the construction range of machines. We are also working on solutions on our Zaxis range of machines that are modular in nature and can be plugged in as and when required.

What is the current status of the road sector and how do you foresee the future trends in road construction? 

Currently, the execution of national highways continues at more than 26 km/day and on a YoY basis. NHAI award has increased by more than 65% albeit on a low base. Therefore, activity continues on national highways.

In Maharashtra, the Mumbai - Nagpur express highway construction is under progress and the change in government, which had brought a small disruption has been resolved. Uttar Pradesh has recently awarded the Bundelkhand express highway project along with the Gorakhpur link road totalling nearly 400km. The government is focused on execution and has taken measures to accelerate land acquisition and timely clearances before the projects are awarded.

Now, with the announcement of the National Infrastructure Pipeline, the government is in the process of drawing up the projects that have to be taken up on priority, especially in view of completing the Bharatmala project that has been subsumed in the NIP.

As per the NIP considerable activity is expected in the coming year. On the whole road construction activity will continue to power ahead.

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