Sep 19, 2022
Digitized 5G test site in Germany provides insights into Bauen 4.0
For three years, scientists from TU Dresden and TU Munich have been working with 22 companies to research new machine and communication technologies for a fully networked and automated construction site. On September 28, 2022, the joint research projects Bauen 4.0 and 5G Lab Germany Forschungsfeld Lausitz will present the results of their research work. Construction of the future will be demonstrated on a 6,400 square meter course on the premises of the Hoyerswerda utility company.
At the test construction site, the consortium will show how all the results interact. One highlight is a real construction scenario in civil engineering, a canal construction site, in which various construction machines such as mobile excavators, wheel loaders and loading cranes with newly developed automation functions are used. With tracking & tracing for construction materials and equipment, 5G-based construction site campus networks and connectivity modules, and remote control of construction machinery, solutions will be presented that enable the digitalization of construction site operations. An interactive construction execution system makes it possible to map construction site monitoring in real time and visually track live construction site progress.
Every construction site is unique. In a spatially and temporally variable environment, different players act in a division of labor with each other. Small to very large companies work simultaneously with a wide variety of technology on site - often each as an isolated solution, as digital communication is not possible for various reasons. These reasons include different degrees of technology and software solutions, the lack of standardized interfaces, and insufficient cellular network coverage. However, if everything from construction planning and logistics to implementation were digitized and networked, productivity and efficiency on construction sites could be increased, construction personnel could be relieved, and the shortage of skilled workers in the industry could be counteracted. "At our test construction site in Hoyerswerda, we have the opportunity to demonstrate exactly that. For this purpose, the 5G Lab Germany Forschungsfeld Lausitz has provided us with a 5G campus network suitable for construction sites. A connectivity module developed as part of Bauen 4.0 with several radio interfaces and the use of a cloud solution make it possible for construction machines to communicate with each other and exchange data in real time. Machine orders then come from the construction site cloud and are implemented automatically by our Bauen 4.0 machines. Humans receive the best possible support in the process," explains Prof. Jürgen Weber, holder of the Chair of Fluid-Mechatronic Systems at TU Dresden and coordinator of the "Bauen 4.0" project.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 5 million euros as part of the research program "Innovations for tomorrow's production, services and work". The total project volume is around 10 million euros.
Contact:
Prof. Jürgen Weber
Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
Institute of Mechatronic Engineering
Chair of Fluid-Mechatronic Systems (Fluidtronics)
Phone: +49 351 463-33559