Heavy-duty equipment often runs into trouble. The infrastructure sector, which usually handles projects related to public spaces, must overcome many issues, of which heavy equipment utilized for construction purposes faces quite a few. They are primarily associated with machine malfunctions and maintenance. However, most of these machine troubles are usually connected to various other problems that can escalate into financial and management issues that affect the project and the company.
Heavy equipment includes transport and construction machinery like earth-moving machines, concrete mixers, cranes, and bulldozers, among others, which require regular supervision for their functions.
Out of the many interrelated issues, the following are the top issues that heavy equipment in infrastructure faces:
1)Fuel theft
A proper supply of fuel, especially diesel and oil, is the basic necessity of heavy equipment. With ever-rising fuel prices, fuel theft from the assets is not surprising. Fuel pilfering is a massive yet common problem that supervisors and fleet owners face. This also affects the overall cost incurred by the company or the contractor to procure and manage resources by influencing the budget set aside for this purpose. Apart from who steals the fuel, the real challenge lies in how and when these thefts occur. This is the issue that most managers are unable to figure out on time, thus leading to a waste of resources, capital, and time. Another issue that arises from fuel thefts is the safety and security of both the machine and the human, leading to accidents, thieving of machine parts, destruction of machinery, etc., tying it back to assets, and financial loss.
2) Poor management of the workforce
Another major problem faced by the contractors and project managers is the retainment of workers. Most of these workers consist of daily wage workers who move from contract to contract or project to project. Their safety, attendance, work hours, and work behaviors need to be supervised. For example, if operator behaviors like rash driving, speed limit crossing, and machine idling are not kept in check, it can cause damage to both human lives as well as the property. Lack of heavy vehicle and machine operating training can lead to fatal accidents, injuries, or machine breakdown, affecting the project’s efficiency and timely delivery.
3) Asset degradation and malfunction
Asset or machine breakdowns are a common problem across any industry. What makes it a complicated issue is the suddenness of these occurrences. Unexpected breakdowns are more money- and time-consuming than regular machinery service. Several causes of such unpredictable machine collapse, the most common being irregular maintenance and service schedules. Other reasons include lack of visibility into the current working conditions, aged parts of the machinery, daily wear-and-tear of the equipment components, and on-site accidents, to name a few. Such issues, without timely maintenance, are prone to total asset breakdown and consequential monetary loss.
4) Environmental hazards
Environmental troubles include the ones that occur on an ecological level and those that affect the surrounding area where the construction project is taking or going to take place. Issues like improper waste management, toxic discharge, sound and air pollution, displacement, accidents at construction sites due to machine troubles, etc., are often overlooked. These actions lead to ecological degradation and violations of rules and regulations regarding environmental and public safety and security. Ignoring these matters may cause unrest and, in certain situations, legal implications for the company or the management that oversees these projects, which all turn into an economic loss as well as delay in the project completion.
In conclusion, the issues faced by the infrastructure sector for heavy equipment all affect the budget and timely delivery of the project or contract. The introduction of IoT systems into heavy equipment has opened novel approaches to handling the above-discussed topics. It has also introduced new avenues in managing the workforce better as well as helping make informed decisions by the senior management. It is imperative to have a well-thought-out and well-informed approach to integrating IoT devices and sensors into your existing managerial systems for such solutions. One needs to invest in a design that is the most compatible with one’s needs.
IoT solutions for heavy equipment management in the infrastructure sector for construction spaces are necessary, and several companies provide such general and customized services. Tor Loco, our end-to-end solution, is designed to provide the required granularity and control for supervising your heavy equipment and its real-time status and help fleet owners manage the projects efficiently.
Productivity, efficiency, and cost control of infrastructure construction projects are now achievable effortlessly on all levels.
