Dive Brief:
- Gilbane is taking a bird’s-eye view of one of its projects by implementing camera-mounted crane hooks at a state government building renovation in Richmond, Virginia, the contractor said in a press release.
- CraneView from Versatile utilizes a multi-sensor device mounted underneath a crane’s hook, which then compiles data tailored to the needs of the project team.
- Motionless metrics captured by CraneView enabled Gilbane to coordinate real-time deliveries and manage more efficient workflow. The project team in Richmond has quantified the efficiency of the onsite cranes via a daily report of how much the crane is utilized, the company said.
Dive Insight:
Gilbane ran multiple CraneView devices across multiple cranes, which it used to find inefficiencies and optimize performance.
The Virginia project at the General Assembly Building is a 415,000-square-foot, 15-story legislative and administrative office tower, and is the central component of a modernization project for Virginia’s historic capitol square.
"We zoned in on the crane because it’s almost like a control tower on a busy airport," Meirav Oren, CEO and co-founder of Versatile, said in a video about the partnership.
The information captured from the sensor is compiled into a daily digest that is emailed to the project team about crane use, work completed and efficiency. Information includes how many lifts the crane performed, how long the crane was idle and how long it was in use.
The camera also allows viewers in real time to identify if workers are performing tasks safely, such as using rigging properly or donning the correct PPE.
"Being as safety conscious as we are I think having the ability to look right down on top of the connectors, you know, the riggers, the guys hooking the stuff up on the ground, you see something like that that you can get something corrected," Chris Whitley, senior general superintendent for Gilbane said in the video.
In December, Versatile, which is based in Los Altos, California, announced $20 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Insight Partners and Entree Capital, in addition to previous investors.
