Challenges Facing the Construction and Civil Engineering Industry and Expectations for DX

The construction and civil engineering industry has in recent years faced serious challenges such as chronic labor shortages, inefficiencies in work processes, and difficulties in skills transfer. For example, the number of construction workers, which was about 6.85 million in the 1990s, has now fallen to approximately 4.7 million, representing a loss of roughly 30% of the workforce. Sites are also aging: more than 30% of workers are over 55, while young workers (29 and under) make up only about 10%. The mass retirement of experienced technicians raises concerns about a break in know-how transfer, and coupled with fewer new entrants, the shortage of on-site personnel is accelerating. The image of construction as a 3K (tough, dirty, dangerous) workplace with long hours and hazardous tasks also discourages young people from entering the industry, making the situation even more severe.

The labor shortage has led to project delays, declines in bids accepted, and increased costs across the sector, making productivity improvement a major industry-wide challenge. Traditional construction sites rely heavily on analog work—drawings and manual labor—so surveying mistakes and misreading of designs have often caused rework. Understanding complex drawings on site requires seasoned intuition, which is a high barrier for younger workers. Against this backdrop, expectations for digital transformation (DX) have never been higher. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has promoted initiatives like "i-Construction" and set a target to improve on-site productivity by 20% by fiscal 2025, encouraging public and private efforts to advance construction DX using ICT, AI, and IoT. DX is seen as the trump card to solve labor shortages and skill transfer issues and to streamline and sophisticate operations.

Among these developments, the combination of high-precision positioning technology and AR (augmented reality) has recently attracted particular attention as a site DX solution. By combining real-time positioning that reduces positioning error to the absolute minimum with AR guidance that overlays digital information on the site, construction management and surveying tasks that once depended on analog methods are expected to become dramatically smarter. This article explains in detail the new civil engineering DX made possible by high-precision positioning × AR guidance and introduces specific use cases and benefits.

Overview and Strengths of High-precision RTK Positioning and AR Guidance Technologies

First, let’s cover what high-precision positioning and AR guidance are. RTK positioning stands for Real-Time Kinematic, a positioning technology that adds real-time correction information to GNSS (satellite positioning), reducing errors of several meters common to standalone GPS to a few centimeters or less. It uses correction radio waves from a base station and signals from Japan’s quasi-zenith satellite "Michibiki" (such as CLAS) to calculate one’s position with high precision. Because centimeter-level positioning that was difficult with conventional GPS becomes possible, it can measure locations with the accuracy required for civil engineering work.

AR (augmented reality) guidance, on the other hand, is a technology that supports work by overlaying digital information such as 3D models and guide lines onto real-world video captured by a smartphone or tablet camera. It is realized through dedicated goggles or existing smartphone apps, allowing users to see the site landscape and design data simultaneously through the screen. Because it can display design information as if projected on the actual site, it makes it intuitive to understand “where and what to build,” greatly improving spatial awareness and communication.

By combining this RTK high-precision positioning with AR guidance, AR displays that do not shift at the centimeter level become possible. General AR systems sometimes suffered meter-level display errors due to the limitations of device GPS and sensors, making conventional AR impractical for construction sites that require millimeter- or centimeter-level precision. But with RTK corrections, the AR digital model can be overlaid in a position virtually indistinguishable from the real object. This allows checks and instructions to be made with the design on the drawing perfectly aligned with the actual site.

High-precision RTK × AR guidance has several strengths not found in traditional technologies. First is reduction of human error. There is no need to mentally reconcile surveying results and drawings because the overlay can be checked on site, preventing oversights and misunderstandings that lead to construction mistakes in real time. Because the correct design positions are always displayed on AR, for example, workers installing rebar or bolts can detect offsets on the spot and correct them immediately. Second is streamlining of work processes. Compared to conventional methods that repeatedly require measuring, checking, and marking out with paper drawings in hand, AR guidance can simply lead the user to the required positions as they walk the site with a device. This saves the time spent searching for survey points and transcribing measurement results, drastically shortening overall work time. Third is improved information sharing. Design information and survey data displayed in AR can be shared digitally via the cloud, allowing remote stakeholders to check site conditions simultaneously. Even without visiting the site, office-based personnel can view AR footage and generated data to make decisions and give instructions, enabling remote construction management.

In summary, by building AR’s intuitive visual support on top of RTK’s high-precision location data, an environment in which “anyone can measure and construct accurately” is established. Tasks that relied on a veteran’s intuition and experience are digitized, allowing even newcomers to perform high-precision work by following machine guidance. This fusion of technologies epitomizes the DX (digital transformation) of civil engineering sites.

Use Cases for On-site DX with LRTK

So what can be done on site by using this high-precision RTK × AR technology? Below are representative use cases of on-site DX, using a solution called LRTK, which combines a smartphone-mounted RTK device with an AR app.

• Streamlining pile-driving layout work: Labor-intensive tasks like setting base points and measuring distances for pile-driving layout can be modernized with AR guidance. With LRTK, the device screen displays design pile locations as 3D markers, guiding the worker to target points while scanning the site. Even in overgrown or low-visibility conditions, AR can pinpoint “place pile here,” eliminating misses. Where traditionally a surveying team of two or more used transits or lasers to set pile positions, LRTK allows one person to carry a device and accurately determine pile locations. This dramatically speeds up piling and layout marking while reducing human errors.

• Advanced as-built management: AR is powerful for post-construction as-built checks of completed structures and topography. LRTK can automatically compare 3D data (point clouds) measured on site with the design model in the cloud and generate a heat map color-coded by elevation differences. Displayed on a device, this instantly reveals areas where embankment or pavement thickness is above or below design values. Previously, finding as-built errors required placing survey points, analyzing numbers, and manually coloring drawings, which was time-consuming. With an AR heat map, defective construction areas are color-marked on the spot, allowing immediate rework without additional layout marking. QA personnel can inspect simply by holding up a device, greatly reducing the effort required for as-built verification.

• Quality control in structural construction: High-precision AR is useful at sites for structures such as bridges and tunnels. By overlaying the planned 3D model onto the structure under construction, workers can check in real time whether components are installed at the correct positions and angles. You can compare real rebar or piping with the AR model to verify that installations match design positions and slopes. Small offsets can be detected and corrected on the spot, preventing rework like relocating bolt positions later. AR can also place models of heavy equipment or temporary structures to simulate interference with the actual site. For example, you can AR-verify a large crane’s swing radius relative to nearby structures and adjust plans if necessary. Spatial issues hard to grasp from drawings alone become intuitively shareable with AR, helping close recognition gaps among stakeholders. Visualizing construction sequences in AR also helps convey the final image to younger engineers, serving as an educational tool to support construction management. In addition, AR screens can be recorded as photos or videos for later verification or reporting, creating persuasive documentation easily. These capabilities help secure high levels of construction quality and safety.

• Accelerating earthwork volume measurement: LRTK significantly streamlines the capture of fill and excavation volumes in earthworks. Traditionally, survey teams measured site cross-sections and calculated volumes or generated point clouds from drone imagery—specialized, time-consuming tasks. With LRTK, point cloud data scanned with a smartphone are automatically georeferenced, allowing immediate volume calculations on site. For example, at a development site, comparing terrain scans before and after grading with LRTK allowed calculation of fill volumes in a few clicks. This enables real-time daily progress management and estimation of spoil volumes, speeding up progress tracking and reporting.

• Simplifying point cloud data acquisition: Acquiring point cloud data, a 3D record of the site, becomes remarkably easy with LRTK. An LRTK system that combines a smartphone and a compact RTK antenna can produce point clouds with absolute coordinates at cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy) in a short time through simple photo capture or scanning operations. For example, anyone can obtain wide-area point clouds that include targets up to 60 m (196.9 ft) away by scanning the site as casually as taking photos. Previously, expensive large laser scanners were required and coordinate alignment in post-processing was necessary, but that effort is eliminated. For instance, scanning the inside of a trench with LRTK before backfilling preserves a point cloud of buried pipes with georeferenced coordinates. Later, simply pointing a smartphone at the excavation site enables AR transparency to view underground pipe locations, directly reducing the risk of accidental damage to other buried utilities. In renovation work on existing structures, acquiring as-built point clouds in advance and comparing them with design models makes it efficient to quantify additional work and check for clashes. The ease of point cloud measurement and AR visualization enabled by LRTK is creating new workflows across survey, design, and maintenance operations.

As these use cases show, LRTK promotes DX across surveying, construction management, and infrastructure maintenance, holding potential to improve site productivity and safety from multiple angles. Next, let’s look at the specific impacts of introducing it in terms of labor-saving, efficiency, and quality improvement.

Impact on Labor-saving, Efficiency, and Quality Improvement

The effects gained by introducing high-precision positioning × AR guidance can be summarized in three keywords: labor-saving, efficiency, and quality improvement.

Labor-saving: The greatest impact is labor reduction that helps alleviate workforce shortages. Tools like LRTK enable surveying and layout marking tasks that previously required two to three people to be performed by one person. With one smartphone-based surveying device per person, all necessary points can be measured without pairing a skilled surveyor and an assistant, creating staffing flexibility. AR guidance navigates novices, allowing operations to be performed to a certain degree of accuracy without veteran accompaniment. This also aids skill transfer, enabling less experienced technicians to become productive through technology. As a result, a limited workforce can cover more sites, making it easier to carry out projects even amid severe labor shortages.

Efficiency: The dramatic improvement in work efficiency through digital technology is also notable. Many sites that introduced AR + RTK reported significant reductions in time for surveying, inspection, and surveys compared to conventional methods. For example, some projects generated meeting materials simply by displaying the design model in AR and taking photos, cutting out extra drawing work and re-surveying. In some cases, a terrain survey that used to take half a day was completed in under an hour, demonstrating substantial impact. Cloud integration allows data captured on site to be shared instantly with the office, shortening information transmission delays. Remote instructions or approvals became quicker by sharing AR footage to achieve rapid consensus. These effects reduce unnecessary waiting and travel, contributing to overall schedule shortening. The efficiency gains free up resources for other important tasks and support workstyle reforms such as reducing overtime.

Quality improvement: High-precision digital technologies directly raise construction quality. Because work can always be performed at the design-specified positions and elevations, variation in as-built outcomes is reduced and product quality is stabilized. Preventing dimensional mistakes and omissions from human error reduces rework and complaints. Accumulating detailed 3D data and records from construction processes improves traceability in quality control. During inspections, AR can highlight required check points, smoothing client inspections and third-party verifications. High-precision RTK × AR is a powerful ally in building structures that reliably achieve intended performance. Moreover, technologies that visualize hidden elements like piping also improve safety, contributing to reduced quality risks.

Future Outlook for Civil Engineering DX and an Invitation to Adopt LRTK

High-precision positioning × AR guidance-based civil engineering DX is becoming the new on-site norm. In Japan, stakeholders ranging from major contractors to small and medium builders and local governments are considering and trialing these technologies. Domestically, trials of buried-utility visualization and as-built inspection using high-precision AR in infrastructure maintenance and public works have shown results in safety and productivity improvement. Overseas, systems achieving centimeter-level AR display outdoors have emerged, garnering attention for enabling intuitive on-site confirmation and sharing of complex 3D data. Looking ahead, leveraging digital technologies will be indispensable to maintain high-quality infrastructure while coping with a declining labor force. DX will drive a shift from “construction reliant on manpower and experience” to “construction supported by data and technology,” transforming both workstyles and construction processes.

In this context, LRTK is attracting attention as a key to making on-site DX a reality. Combining a smartphone with a compact antenna, LRTK handles high-precision positioning, point cloud measurement, and AR displays without positional offsets in a single device, making the benefits of DX accessible to all. Its ease of use—no complicated equipment setup or specialist knowledge required, simply bring it to the site and power it on—adds to its appeal. Without investing in expensive dedicated equipment, your existing smartphone can quickly become a surveying instrument, lowering the barrier to adoption for small companies and sites and making one-device-per-person operation realistic.

The labor-saving revolution LRTK brings is not just about efficiency; it has the potential to change the way we work. When digital technology and on-site skills are integrated, the future construction site we envision will evolve into a smarter, more sustainable form. To avoid falling behind the accelerating wave of civil engineering DX, it’s important to start introducing digital technology where you can test it on site. Solutions like LRTK are an ideal first step in the labor-saving revolution. Once tried, you’ll likely experience “eye-opening” improvements in surveying and construction management. Those incremental gains will eventually lead to industry-wide shifts in mindset and productivity improvements. The future of construction sites at our feet is already in motion. Why not take this opportunity to adopt a new construction style using high-precision positioning × AR guidance and step together toward a sustainable future in civil engineering?