Identifying Cost Savings

Cost-saving insights from the BKWAI platform that were invisible to the human eye

Written by Sonja Abhyankar, Head of Product at BKWAI

When a monitored asset such as a bridge or a protected structure has moved so much as to be visible to the human eye, the time for preventative action has often passed and costly remediative intervention will be needed. The bridge will be closed for repairs. The protected structure has to be repaired.

Despite this, most monitored assets are visually inspected according to a fixed timetable. Although this offers a bespoke approach, small changes and emerging outliers can be missed. And if a significant movement happens just after a recent inspection, it can be years before it is spotted.

As a result, movements that indicate an underlying problem are spotted late, or unnecessary interventions are made when normal behaviour is mistaken for an underlying problem. In both cases, excess and avoidable costs are incurred.

BKWAI’s solution

BKWAI’s platform combines in-situ and satellite data: sensor and survey measurements provide local detail, while current and historical InSAR records provide the wider geographical context. Five years of satellite history add depth to the assessment.

The platform brings together on-the-ground sensor and satellite data with environmental and other monitoring streams.

It is deployed in the cloud and automatically ingests data from all relevant sensors, regardless of type or manufacturer, allowing simultaneous visualisation in one place.

Even the slightest movement between inspections can be detected and potential problems prevented. This helps asset owners understand trends, correlations and the root cause of these movements, and whether they need to intervene.

This can generate significant cost savings. A Deloitte report found that analytics-enabled initiatives generate a three to seven per cent increase in ROI due to the extended useful life of the assets.

Cost savings through early intervention

Engineers working on the construction of a major shopping centre within a four-storey Grade II-listed facade are using the BKWAI platform to monitor movement of the protected assets.

BKWAI’s constant monitoring allows them to see how site activities are impacting the condition of monitored structures.

Instead of having to rely on manual surveys and graphs plotted by a human, engineers can access intelligent visualisations and data analysis that allow them to precisely interrogate what is happening on the site. The system highlights issues, creates alerts and notifies engineers via email or SMS, so they no longer need to spend days buried in Excel spreadsheets looking for concerning readings.

As a result, engineers can spot on-site issues before they arise and need to be repaired, as well as ensure planning compliance.

Cost savings by avoiding unnecessary work

BKWAI’s platform analyses how a bridge responds to temperature, environmental conditions, wind, loads and construction activity. Machine learning helps separate anomalies and areas of concern from normal behaviour.

Five years of records established the bridge’s normal response to temperature, helping engineers distinguish it from anomalies and areas of concern.

This removes the need to do costly remedial work, as well as the disruption that would be caused by closing the bridge.

Cost savings from alerts for movement

Engineers working on the construction of a major stadium development within a Grade II-listed location are using the BKWAI platform to monitor movement of the historic structures and ensure compliance with planning rules. Configurable alerts trigger email or SMS notifications when any set movement parameters are breached, long before they would be visible to the human eye.

Movement across the site can be viewed on 2D and 3D maps and using satellite imagery. Each individual sensor or array of sensors can be quickly and easily interrogated to view historical changes.

As a result, intervention can be made before the protected assets move so much as to cause damage, avoiding the cost and delays of repairs, as well as expensive regulatory fines.

To find out how BKWAI can enable you to make smarter construction and asset monitoring decisions please contact us