Exploring the Use of Mobile Technologies for Highway Construction Inspection: Fid-Bau Portal

Exploring the Use of Mobile Technologies for Highway Construction Inspection

Mohamed, Mamdouh / Tran, Daniel

Utilization of technology has been proven as an efficient approach to construction inspection. Although a wide variety of technologies are available to support construction inspection, there is a lack of understanding of how mobile technologies can be effectively used for construction inspection. This study aimed at exploring the current practices of using mobile technologies to inspect highway construction projects. The main mobile technologies investigated in this study include tablet computers/smart phones, handheld data collectors, automated machine guidance, and virtual reality/augmented reality. A national survey was conducted to evaluate the current practices and identify benefits and challenges of using mobile technologies for highway inspections. Based on the responses from 42 state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), the result of this study showed that tablet computers/smart phones are the most common technologies used for highway construction inspection. DOTs typically use mobile technologies for the following activities: monitoring construction progress, earthwork inspection and quantities, and documentation of work completed for payment. The main barriers for adopting mobile technologies for construction inspection are the lack of reliable internet connection in remote locations; lack of training; knowledge and skills; and cost issues. This study contributes to the body-of-knowledge and the construction industry by exploring the current practices and identifying challenges in implementing mobile technologies for highway construction inspection.