An Eye on Construction
August 08, 2006
While still images and video don’t qualify as new or perhaps even cutting-edge technology, the capabilities they bring to the jobsite provide tremendous ROI (return on investment) for contractors.
Faster Internet connections in the field and more advanced digital photography are among the factors leading to greater adoption of Web cameras on the jobsite. Alongside security and surveillance, contractors are finding many benefits associated with monitoring the jobsite in realtime via the Web.
One such example is the ability to handle contract disputes. Craig Weaver, president, with SunnyMoon Productions, www.sunnymoon.com, Vienna, Va., which produces high resolution Web camera solutions for construction, sees this as a hidden benefit to the technology.
“(Contractors can) make sure the concrete is being poured the day the concrete pourer said they’d be there,” says Weaver. “Often it lets them stay in the comfort of their home or office rather than going to the site.”
When evaluating Web camera options, experts say contractors should develop a concise plan of what they hope to accomplish with the technology. This will lead to other questions such as what kind of Internet connectivity, hardware, and service provider is required.
“If (contractors) just want to have a camera up there to show they have an image and it’s cool, probably anything would do. If they want to use it for an actual project management tool, you have to have something you can actually see,” says Chandler McCormack, CEO of OxBlue Corp., www.oxblue.com, Atlanta, Ga. “It’s not just a matter of having images, it is having images you can see something on. You really need something better than a video camera that was meant for security at a gas station.”
OxBlue provides a fully hosted system comprised of a Web camera that transmits high-resolution images through cellular connections. This alleviates challenges associated with transmitting images via landline.
“I think one of the constraints everyone has is a shortage of manpower; you’ve got to do more with the resources you have,” says McCormack. “You can’t find more people so you have to find new ways to manage things. They may have three, seven, or 10 projects going on at one time. There is still one guy that has to manage all those different sites. More and more (the Web cam) is turning into a system that is becoming part of the project management.”
While security and surveillance continue to be primary appeals of Web cameras at the jobsite, these factors are just the beginning. This, coupled with technology and service becoming more affordable, can help make Web cameras an integral part of field operations for contractors.