Radio Frequency Identification Technology for Logistics, Tagging and EPC

New consortium to promote RFID use in construction

Monday, June 1, 2009

A new global consortium has been organized to promote the use of RFID and other Auto-ID technologies in the construction industry. The RFID in Construction Consortium plans to offer educational programs which will assist construction firms in choosing the right RFID solutions to streamline and improve their business operations, with an eye toward cost savings and growth strategies.


The consortium consists of representatives from technology and construction companies and some experts from academia. The group was founded by Harry P. Pappas, who will also serve as its chairman. Pappas is also founder and CEO of another RFID industry group, the International RFID Business Association.

“With the current state of the global economy it is imperative that proven, advanced technologies are widely utilized during construction to increase efficiency and reduce cost,” says Ed Koch, the consortium’s vice president of industry adaptation and strategic planning, and a representative of Bechtel Construction Operations Inc. “RFID technology will provide an opportunity to significantly increase the availability of accurate information for material management as well as other field work processes, leading to better decision-making during project execution.” [end] 

ADR Software was tapped for its Workforce Monitor construction site labor monitoring service at a large scale government facility improvement project in Arlington, Va.

The system logged nearly 2,300 workers from over 181 companies using ADR Software’s advanced RFID-enabled monitoring stations. Workforce Monitor utilizes RFID tags, embedded in stickers affixed to hard hats and ID badges to monitor workforce traffic, while producing daily workforce reports on specific sub-contractor resources and hours throughout time spent on site.

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The National Research Council-Canada Centre for Computer-Assisted Construction Technologies (NRC-CCCT) has launched a joint effort to deploy RFID technology to track pre-cast concrete tunnel liner segments that will be part of a Toronto project expected to be complete in 2012.

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Japan’s three main cell phone providers, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank, have joined forces to create the NFC Consortium in hopes of advancing Japan’s contactless payments platform toward international standards.

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ADR Software has introduced its latest RFID-based labor monitoring and reporting service for the commercial construction industry.

The newly branded Workforce Monitor uses proprietary technology architecture to provide real-time monitoring and reporting of workforce activity at large construction sites. Utilizing RFID tags, embedded in stickers affixed to hard hats and ID badges, Workforce can monitor personnel traffic with enhanced collection, reporting and analysis tools.

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ExakTime has announced the addition of a biometric time and attendance tracking product designed for use by contractors or site managers for construction projects.

The solution, called FaceFront Biometrics, is software designed for us on smart phones or tablets with front-facing cameras and utilizes face recognition to match construction workers clocking in for work to their profile to ensure the person being clocked in is actually on site.

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Leo InnoTech (LIT) and UPM RFID have carried out a large-scale item-level RFID implementation for a Chinese apparel company focusing primarily on warehouse logistics optimization.

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