What does a connected future look like for the earthworks sector

Connected assets, autonomy, digital plant managers, integrated mobilisation, designing models for machines and AI human recognition are all part of how you deliver modern, safe and efficient earthworks projects. It's a complex process that starts with adding in the infrastructure a site needs before a piece of earthmoving equipment even arrives.

 These challenges and more are being tackled by one of the UK's largest tier one civils contractors, Balfour Beatty. The business is heavily involved in delivering over 500 projects a year, including HS2 and major National Highways projects like the recently won £1.2bn Lower Thames Crossing' Roads North of the Thames' package.

 And for its Asset and Solutions Division Director, Sean Scarah, change is accelerating. Sean: "It's not all about diggers anymore... it's about a whole connected site where 3D machine control and, in the future autonomous plant help to deliver a project and help us on our journey to Net Zero.

 And this is why we have recently created our Asset and Solutions division to manage this transition, including creating our own survey business. In turn, this has led to a much more integrated approach with our IT department and the rollout of our own cloud-based project management tools.

 Today we mobilise over 500 projects and demobilise a similar amount, working with our supply chain to minimise the time we are onsite, whilst ensuring we have all the infrastructure we need in place. A big part of this process is connecting each project and asset on our sites using 4G/5G mesh broadband solutions. In doing so, we can take full advantage of a connected worksite approach.

 This incorporates surveyors and, in the future autonomous drones, which now capture data that can be uploaded to our cloud base systems for engineers to turn into 3D models, designed specifically for 3D machine controlled equipment. These in turn, can be sent and downloaded straight into the machines onsite through two way office to site communication.

 Add to this the use of AI camera technology, which powers human recognition that we are already using through the likes of Safety Shield, and you not only have a productive site. Interestingly this technology also helps us to map out our sites better. And this is happening onsite now as part of our ongoing digital journey.

 This journey has also seen us collaborate with key supply chain members like Flannery and Lynch on key projects, including a two year road job with National Highways. Here we used mixed fleet machine utilisation data, JCB's Livelink solution and our platforms to increase machine utilisation by 20% whilst also reducing idle time by 13%.

 This had a significant impact on the overall project costs and carbon emissions. It also proved the importance of our joint investment with Flannery into the Operator Skills Hub, as we were able to utilise data to support training and upskilling on 3D machine control in particular. Armed with all this data, we can manage projects more effectively, sharing outcomes with clients through our own digital tools.

 And in-turn, this knowledge supports the development of our own digital and plant standards as we see the benefit of investing in better equipment and solutions. It is through this approach and our work with the whole industry, including OEM's, our supply chain, customers and peers, that we can drive best practices, support industry-wide standards and ultimately greater adoption of new technologies.

 This is also why we are continually investigating new solutions on the road to autonomy. For example, the Cat Command Station offers a real opportunity to change future site delivery, particularly with an ongoing skills shortage. And put this technology together with autonomous drones, spot the dog and a whole arrange of sensors, and you have a very exciting connected future.