RFID for Managing Personnel in Vertical Construction
RFID + CLOUD + BUILDING INFORMATION
MODELING HELPS MANAGE PERSONNEL IN
VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION
THE OPPORTUNITY
Historically, construction management and building owners had to wait weeks and months to get data on
how their projects were staffed. New RFID-based systems provide this information in real-time during each
workday.
Construction site management used to deploy several security guards and supervisors for the sole purpose
of monitoring the workforce in different sections of the building. Using the new systems, management can
monitor the flow of people in and out of zones from the office trailer. If a person enters an unauthorized
zone, an instant email alert is sent to the designated supervisor. Most importantly, should there ever be an
emergency evacuation event on site, the system provides real-time updates on who remains in the building
and where they are located.
ThingMagic has had the opportunity to design, build and run an RFID–based personnel management
system on a large construction project in California. Only three months after going-live, the general
contractor was blown away by the system benefits and the richness of the collected data.
RFID for Managing Personnel in Vertical Construction
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
ThingMagic deployed a three-tier system with three components: sensors, database, and web applications.
Figure 1: RFID-based Personnel Management in Vertical Construction: Major system components and system architecture.
Every worker on the construction site is issued a passive UHF RFID-enabled ID card, which the individual
wears on a lanyard around the neck. The sensor infrastructure consists of RFID reader-enabled secure
turnstiles for access to and egress from the job site. Inside the building under construction Mercury6 RFID
readers and antennas are installed to systematically cover the entry areas of the building, staircase
landings, man-lift landings, and elevators banks. As a worker moves from one building section to another,