Tracking Workers Indoors on Construction Sites

A newly published paper presents a deployable Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) for tracking workers indoors on construction sites using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. Existing systems often face challenges with cost, wiring, reliance on smartphones, accuracy, and adaptability to the constantly changing layout of construction projects. This study introduces a fully beacon-based system that replaces traditional receivers with low-cost, battery-powered BLE beacons and employs a modular placement strategy, reducing costs and simplifying installation.


The proposed system combines a wireless hardware setup with localisation algorithms based on triangulation and filtering techniques. It addresses issues such as inconsistent signal strength and multipath interference by applying post-processing methods including Kalman filters, exponential smoothing and moving averages. Tests carried out in controlled environments showed localisation errors of around 0.56 metres for moving workers and 0.64 metres for stationary ones, which is an improvement over many previous studies. The research also examined different placements of beacons on the body, with hardhat placement giving the most reliable results.

The system balances accuracy with deployability and cost efficiency. It offers flexibility through adjustable smoothing levels, allowing it to serve both safety-critical real-time monitoring and longer-term productivity analysis.

The paper demonstrates that a beacon-only BLE RTLS can provide a scalable, low-cost, and accurate solution for indoor worker tracking in construction, with applications in safety management, productivity monitoring, and automated workspace identification

Construction Worker Analysis Using Beacons

A new paper, authored by Mohammadali Khazen, Mazdak Nik-Bakht, and Osama Moselhi, introduces an innovative system for indoor construction sites, designed to simultaneously track workers’ locations, body orientations, and productivity states. The system, which integrates Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) data with a 4-Dimensional Building Information Model (BIM), employs three modules: workspace discovery, body orientation detection and productivity state identification.

The workspace discovery module maps workers’ locations onto the BIM, enhancing workspace management. The body orientation module, using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, identifies workers’ field of view, while the productivity state module leverages accelerometer data from body-mounted beacons to classify workers’ activities into direct work, support work, or idle states.

Experimental results demonstrate the system’s efficacy in laboratory settings, with orientation detection showing a mean error of less than 30° over eight minutes and productivity state identification achieving an average error of 14% and a maximum of 20%. These findings underscore the system’s potential to improve on-site management by providing real-time insights into workers’ activities, thereby addressing the limitations of manual observation methods.

The integration of RTLS with BIM and the innovative use of sensor data for orientation and activity classification represents a significant advancement in the field of construction site management, offering a promising tool for enhancing productivity and safety on indoor construction projects.

Solar Powered Pedestrian Beacons with iBeacon Technology

The Considerate Constructors Scheme Best Practice Hub has a new entry showcasing Solar Powered Pedestrian Beacons with iBeacon Technology. The hub is where UK and Ireland building contractors can showcase best practice.

The system consists of two solar powered belisha pedestrian crossing beacons installed by John Sisk and Son Ltd as part of traffic management plan measures.

Each belisha beacon has a Bluetooth transmitter advertising iBeacon. This allows parameters such as the battery voltage, discharge current and the beacon’s unique ID (UID) to be obtained and controlled remotely using an app.

View iBeacons

Building Construction Industry Time and Attendance Tracking

One of our clients Chime Software Limited, part of Wren Construction, is offering a Time and Attendance Tracking system for the building construction industry. It’s a mobile and desktop solution allowing teams to easily collaborate.

The clock in and clock out uses iBeacons. It’s possible to view and authorise timesheets either from your desktop or mobile phone. It’s also possible to take textual and photographic notes for sharing across a team or project.