What is ICT construction machinery? A beginner-friendly explanation of introduction benefits and practical examples

In recent years, the introduction of ICT construction machinery has been rapidly progressing in the construction industry. ICT construction machinery refers to the latest construction equipment that utilizes information and communication technology (ICT). It equips conventional heavy machinery with positioning technologies such as GPS and various sensors to achieve improved efficiency and accuracy in construction. Until now, many tasks on construction sites have relied on the experience and intuition of veteran operators. However, amid serious labor shortages and the aging and generational change of skilled technicians, ICT construction machinery is attracting attention as a trump card to solve these problems.

The government is also promoting i-Construction as a productivity revolution for construction sites, supporting the use of ICT construction machinery. i-Construction is an initiative proposed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism since 2016 that aims for DX (digital transformation) on sites with pillars such as “comprehensive use of ICT” and “leveling/standardizing construction timing.” ICT construction machinery is a core technology of this initiative and is being widely introduced at civil engineering and infrastructure construction sites. In practice, using ICT construction machinery can reduce tasks such as survey staking (driving stakes to indicate the position and elevation of construction points) and shorten construction periods, enabling high-quality work with fewer people and significantly contributing to measures against labor shortages.

This article explains, in an easy-to-understand way for beginners, the basics of “what ICT construction machinery is,” the benefits of introducing it, and actual examples of its use. If you are considering introducing it into your company, please refer to how construction sites are changing with the latest technology.

What is ICT construction machinery?

ICT construction machinery is, as the name suggests, a general term for heavy construction machinery that incorporates information and communication technology (ICT). Specifically, it refers to heavy machinery such as bulldozers, hydraulic excavators, and motor graders equipped with various sensors—global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, commonly known as GPS), total stations (survey instruments), inertial measurement devices (gyros and tilt sensors), lasers, etc.—so that the position and attitude of the machine can be tracked in real time. Also, pre-created 3D design data (models of the finished terrain or structures) are loaded into the machine, allowing the system to continuously calculate and display the deviation between the machine’s current position/elevation and the ideal design surface.

With such ICT construction machinery, guide information such as “how much more to excavate relative to the design surface” and “the current height and tilt of the blade or bucket” is displayed on a monitor installed in the operator’s cab. By operating while viewing that information, the operator can perform accurate work without relying on experience. More advanced systems link hydraulic control to automatically adjust the height of the blade or bucket, enabling semi-automatic grading work.

The mechanisms of ICT construction machinery are broadly divided into two types: Machine Guidance (MG) and Machine Control (MC). Machine Guidance is a method that “navigates” the operator by displaying the current position and blade height on a monitor; the operation itself is performed by a human. On the other hand, Machine Control goes a step further and automatically controls the movement of the machine, so that an excavator’s bucket or a bulldozer’s blade moves up and down automatically according to the set design data, assisting the operator’s operation. For example, in ground-finishing work where the surface must be leveled, the machine control function is effective and can achieve a uniform, accurate finish even without a skilled operator.

ICT construction machinery also comes in 2D and 3D types depending on the positioning technology used. The 2D type supports mainly height and slope control by measuring reference surfaces with lasers or detecting tilt with angle sensors and is suitable for relatively planar work. The 3D type uses GNSS or automatic-tracking total stations to position the machine in three dimensions and enables work on complex three-dimensional terrain. In recent years, 3D ICT construction machinery has been becoming mainstream and is active in various sites such as road construction, residential land development, and river and dam works.

Benefits of introducing ICT construction machinery

Next, let’s look at the main benefits that ICT construction machinery brings to the site when introduced. Heavy machinery equipped with the latest technology has the following advantages compared to conventional methods.

• Improved construction accuracy and stable quality: Because height and slope can be managed automatically based on digital 3D design data, human error is reduced and the finishing accuracy dramatically improves. Since work can be performed according to the design regardless of experience, quality is stabilized and rework is reduced. For example, subtle slopes and curved surfaces that are difficult to shape manually can be reliably reproduced by following the monitor guidance on ICT construction machinery.

• Increased work efficiency and shorter construction periods: ICT construction machinery can streamline each stage of construction. The time-consuming tasks of installing survey stakes to check elevations in advance and repeatedly surveying after work to check as-built conditions are greatly reduced. As a result, crews can focus on actual machine work, shortening total work time. One experiment reported that using ICT construction machinery could reduce work time by about 40% compared to conventional methods. Improved efficiency can shorten overall construction schedules, leading to cost savings from earlier completion.

• Addressing labor shortages: It is a major advantage that the range of tasks one operator can handle expands. Traditionally, besides the heavy equipment operator, personnel were needed to set and check survey stakes and assist with height measurements, but ICT construction machinery can greatly reduce such personnel. In practice, there are examples where the workforce was reduced to about one-third (67% reduction) after introducing ICT construction machinery. Also, because machine operation itself becomes easier due to automation, younger workers can perform high-quality work even when experienced operators are scarce. This contributes to solving labor shortages and skill succession issues and enables site management with fewer people.

• Improved safety: ICT construction machinery reduces opportunities for people to guide or survey near heavy machines, thereby enhancing site safety. Because there is no need to stand near the machine to drive survey stakes or check as-built conditions, the risk of contact accidents is reduced. Operators can also work while checking a monitor, reducing the time spent looking around and allowing them to operate more safely with greater mental space. Overall, by increasing situations where “no one is right next to the machine,” ICT construction machinery is expected to reduce near-miss incidents on sites.

• Cost reduction and reduced environmental impact: Improved work efficiency and reductions in labor costs and construction time lead to lower total costs. While initial investment is required, in the mid- to long-term the labor cost savings from mechanization and the material and fuel savings from preventing rework are significant. Accurate construction avoids unnecessary excavation and embankment, reducing machine operating hours and fuel consumption. This contributes to lowering CO2 emissions and offers environmental benefits, helping achieve more sustainable construction.

Examples of ICT construction machinery in use

Now let’s look at concrete examples of how ICT construction machinery is actually helping on sites.

Example 1: Use of an ICT hydraulic excavator in road work At a road reconstruction site, an ICT-enabled hydraulic excavator was used for installing temporary roads and excavating foundations for structures. This machine was equipped with an automatically tracking total station, constantly measuring the machine’s position coordinates during work and displaying deviations from the design data on the operator’s monitor in real time. The operator proceeded with excavation while checking the displayed “target elevation/slope” and the “difference from the bucket’s current position,” enabling accurate excavation to the design depth and slope. Because the ICT machine automatically fine-tuned the bucket height, unnecessary over-excavation or leftover material was reduced and the finishing accuracy improved.

Traditionally, a worker would accompany the operator to guide excavation using survey stakes as reference, measuring heights as work progressed. However, at this site, thanks to the ICT hydraulic excavator, one operator alone completed the work, and it proceeded faster and more safely than before. The site supervisor remarked, “The burden of installing and checking survey stakes was greatly reduced, and because people didn’t need to approach the machine as often, there were major safety benefits.” A young operator also commented, “It’s helpful to work accurately while looking at the screen instead of relying on intuition. Even when finishing to the design, the level of fatigue is completely different.” The introduction of ICT construction machinery in this case is a good example of not only ensuring quality but also reducing worker burden and improving safety.

Example 2: Significant efficiency gains compared to conventional methods In another case, an experiment was conducted comparing work using ICT construction machinery with conventional mainly manual methods under the same conditions. For a task of excavating and shaping a 10 m (32.8 ft / 33 ft) square area to a specified depth, the ICT construction machinery reduced direct working time by about 43% and required only one operator instead of the conventional three people (one operator + two assistants). Although a simple example, this result numerically demonstrates the productivity improvement achieved by ICT construction machinery. Factors behind the time savings include the elimination of the need to set survey stakes and perform intermediate checks; preparation and verification time were reduced. Also, because the machine automatically controls accuracy, consistent quality can be maintained without skilled technicians, reducing rework. The degree of effect varies by site, but this case left many contractors impressed with how much efficiency can change simply by equipping heavy machinery with ICT.

Currently, national and local government public works also recommend adopting ICT construction, and not only large companies but also small and medium-sized construction firms are increasingly adopting ICT construction machinery through leasing and other means. ICT construction machinery is becoming an indispensable tool nationwide as a trump card of “construction DX” that overcomes issues such as labor shortages and improves site safety.

Conclusion

This article explained the basics, benefits, and examples of ICT construction machinery. By introducing ICT construction machinery, you can achieve improved construction accuracy, significant efficiency improvements, labor reduction, and enhanced safety. Tasks that once relied on the intuition and experience of veterans can be standardized through digital technology, so ICT construction machinery will play an increasingly important role in the future construction industry.

Of course, realizing ICT construction requires preparing 3D design data and current survey data, so some may feel anxious thinking “creating the data seems difficult.” However, in recent years, technologies that make obtaining such 3D data easy have emerged. For example, there is a method called *[Simple surveying using LRTK](https://www.lrtk.lefixea.com/)* in which you can perform surveying simply by attaching a small high-precision GNSS receiver to a smartphone and walking the site. It is an innovative tool that allows you to obtain position information with centimeter-level accuracy (half-inch accuracy) using just a smartphone and a compact device, without specialized surveying equipment or advanced skills. By utilizing such new surveying solutions, the hurdle to introducing ICT construction machinery is greatly lowered, and anyone can efficiently create 3D data for a site.

With smart construction that combines ICT construction machinery and the latest technologies, construction sites will continue to evolve. ICT construction machinery, which can achieve both efficiency/labor savings and improved safety, is a future-friendly construction machine that is also beginner-friendly. Why not take this opportunity to consider introducing ICT construction machinery? As DX in the construction industry accelerates, leverage the latest technologies to aim for smarter, more productive sites.