The use of 3D machine controls helped us improve productivity

D K Sen,
Wholetime Director & Sr.
Exe.VP (Infrastructure),
L&T

We have developed in-house platforms and portals for all primary functions in road construction life cycle.

How do you assess the scope and potential for digitalizing road construction, especially NHAI projects? 

There is huge untapped potential to digitalize road construction across the entire life cycle of a project, beginning from a feasibility survey & DPR preparation to post-construction Operations & Maintenance. Geospatial technologies like LiDAR, GPR & Photogrammetry are already proving to be game-changers.

Government organizations like NHAI, in collaboration with other concerned authorities, can develop a complete map of the current infrastructure, including the utilities, village maps, and other vital installations, which can be very handy to plan alignments and procure time-bound land clearances for construction. The information can be made available to contractors on a chargeable basis, which, in addition to a source of income, can reduce the overall cost of the project.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) based smart contracting and document management systems can bring in better control & visibility to all stakeholders. It can also help in faster processing of the COS request & dispute resolutions.

Digital modes of progress monitoring using drones and other tools are speeding up execution while smart solutions like IoT enabled equipment, machine control and quality reporting can improve the overall efficiency of construction and quality of the project.

All the data generated in the lifecycle will be useful for O&M post-construction. In addition, NHAI can move to condition-based repairs and rectification rather than period based that can save a lot of effort and money for maintaining assets. NHAI can also be innovative and look for new sources of revenue generation with smart tolling, better traffic management, incident support, smart advertisements, value-added services and amenities.

Brief us on the innovative contributions from L&T revolutionizing road construction through innovative digital platforms for road construction? 

L&T always being a frontrunner to introduce disruptive changes in the fields of engineering & construction, and it is no different in the road segment. We have developed in-house platforms and portals for all primary functions in road construction life cycle. Apart from Geospatial based surveys, we have platforms like LMNOP (Locate Measure Navigate On Phone) to capture feature information digitally. Today, all new projects we bid for use these technologies. It provides faster and more accurate data for designing.

During execution, we use IoT-based technologies. All assets operational at project sites are connected, and the data is evaluated and worked upon daily that has helped us improve our overall productivity of the equipment.100% of our weighment happens on an integrated digital platform sharing real time information and easy reconciliation.

Additionally, the use of 3D machine control for equipment like motor graders, excavators and pavers coupled with rovers for survey staking and marking have helped us improve productivity by 2x and with better quality.

All projects report daily progress through an integrated DPR application.

How does this ensure better safety and quality of a project?

Safety plays a significant role in our operations and we have deployed a host of innovative solutions like AR & VR based safety training. All safety checklists, observations and audit functions are digital.

Quality, another important expect of our execution, is also on digital, starting from capturing results on apps to generating RFIs and managing NC/Observations.

These apart, a host of geospatial solutions like stockpile measurement, quantity estimation, obstruction management, progress reporting, generating a geo databank is used daily to improve the overall efficiency of project execution.

What are the major challenges especially in terms of accepting and implementing such technologies?

Challenges are multi-fold. The most important being the cultural shift. Construction is one of the least matured industries in terms of technology adoption, though there has been a quantum jump in recent times. People need to first believe that technology is to improve efficiency and not to replace workmen or keep them under surveillance. In L&T, we have worked extensively to bring in the cultural acceptance to accept digitalization as the new way of working. We have employed even gamification concepts to shed apprehensions. This, along with sustained training, communication and management push, have helped us cross the initial threshold of acceptance.

From the technology perspective, what are the challenges?

On the technology part, we have faced challenges with deploying IoT across different makes, models and year of manufacture. As many machines are unique in the way they function, connecting different OEM IoT data on to a single platform and run analytics were huge challenges. There are instances wherein the up-gradation cost is the same as the cost of new equipment. We, with our robust in-house capability in digitalization has overcome all the technical challenges and achieved near 100% connectivity. Another major challenge was of consistency of data. As the IoT system primarily works on GPRS signals, we faced network issues at some locations. Embedding sensors / chips planted in structures that monitor their structural health is something we are currently working on. There are challenges with cost implications and supporting statutory guidelines to deploy it on the scale.

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

Though current codal provisions do not provide for clear guidelines for using technology, many clients are now becoming open to going out of the regulations (taking special approvals from authorities and bodies like IITs) if it is beneficial. We have seen some of the recent tenders, where the clients have explicitly asked for deploying digital technology as a part of the contract, which is a good start.

Digitalization is a new and fast-evolving field. It may take some time to incorporate these as standard provisions, but if we can have an option to suggest and deploy these new-age solutions with relevant approvals as a part of the Code, it can be a game-changer for the industry.

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

The road sector in India is becoming a commoditized market; wherein everything ends up at being L1 to win a contract, leaving no leeway for a contractor to innovate and improve work quality or efficiency. As technology comes at a cost, there should be some benefits / incentives for contractors to make a commercially viable investment.

Technology is only one side of the story. There are other challenges like clear and continuous ROW availability, availability or resources (especially minerals), and frequent policy changes that deter a contractor from innovating and investing in frontier technologies. There has been a quantum shift in the general mindset with everyone looking for information at their fingertips, faster decision making, better product quality, and visibility. We are sure that technology will pave the way for a smarter and much efficient road construction business in the future.

Hits: 178