Solve Construction Labor Shortages and Rising Costs with DX! 5 Points to Resolve On-site Issues

In recent years, the civil engineering and construction industries have faced serious labor shortages and the accompanying rising costs. In addition to a decline in veteran workers due to aging and fewer young entrants, work-style reforms that limit overtime (the so-called 2024 problem) have forced projects to be run with even fewer personnel than before. At the same time, inefficient on-site practices and duplicated work are driving costs up and squeezing corporate management. One trump card attracting attention to break this situation is “Construction DX (digital transformation)”. Construction DX is an initiative that fundamentally transforms on-site processes and ways of working using ICT (information and communication technology) and digital tools to dramatically improve productivity. With initiatives such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism-led promotion of “i-Construction,” the introduction of digital technologies is becoming an unavoidable trend in the construction industry. So, specifically, how can DX be utilized to solve on-site problems such as labor shortages and rising costs? This article introduces 5 points to solve on-site issues with Construction DX. Grasping each point should provide hints to operate sites efficiently and safely with fewer personnel and reduce wasteful costs.

1. Eliminate inefficiency by digitizing on-site operations

The first thing to tackle is digitizing on-site operations. By reviewing traditional methods that relied on paper documents and verbal communication and performing information sharing and procedures with digital tools, you can eliminate much wasted time and effort. For example, share drawings and schedules in the cloud so that the latest information can always be checked at both the site and the office. This prevents mistakes such as “the latest version didn’t reach the site, so work must be redone,” thereby curbing cost increases due to rework. Also, if daily reports, inspection reports, and attendance management are made paperless with dedicated apps or cloud systems, you can reduce the effort of writing and aggregating, and submit and check from the site without moving to the office.

Concrete examples of digitization:

• Digitize documents and share via cloud: Manage drawings, contracts, and application documents as PDFs or digital data so all stakeholders can access them online. Prevent delays in paper distribution and loss.

• Online reporting and inspection handling: Move interactions with authorities and prime contractors online by electronically delivering construction photos and submitting inspection documents. Reduce travel time and mailing costs.

• IT-based attendance and schedule management: Record clock-in/out and work hours with tablets to grasp working conditions in real time. Update and share schedules on software to eliminate unnecessary overtime and waiting.

By implementing such DX measures, you can eliminate on-site inefficiencies and improve productivity. With limited personnel, each worker can concentrate on their core tasks, leading to reduced long working hours and suppressed labor cost increases. Start by digitalizing visible paperwork to more easily feel the effects of DX.

2. Smart site management with IoT and remote monitoring

Next in importance is visualizing the site using IoT sensors and remote technologies. By making all on-site information available in real time, accurate decision-making and management are possible even with a small team. For example, if you attach operation-status sensors to heavy machinery and dump trucks to automatically record operating hours and fuel consumption, you can manage machine operations remotely without the site supervisor having to accompany them. Similarly, wearable sensors attached to workers’ helmets or uniforms that monitor location and health data (pulse, body temperature, etc.) can detect heatstroke or accident risks early and allow countermeasures.

Furthermore, remote monitoring using cameras and drones is effective for smart site management. By checking fixed cameras installed at heights or hazardous locations from the office or sharing panoramic real-time drone footage, you can grasp situations and issue instructions without going to the site. For example, with one experienced supervisor, it is possible to巡回確認 multiple sites’ footage online and send instructions to workers as needed. This method, called remote attendance, is a groundbreaking approach that allows a limited workforce to cover many sites. Reduced travel time increases efficiency and contributes to lower labor costs.

Examples of IoT and remote monitoring use:

• Safety management with environmental sensors: Install temperature, humidity, and vibration sensors at construction sites to detect dangerous temperature rises or noise and vibration levels in real time. Trigger alarms when thresholds are exceeded to prevent accidents and complaints from neighbors.

• AI cameras for detecting proximity of machinery and people: AI-equipped cameras monitor the site and automatically issue warnings when the distance between machinery and workers falls below a set threshold. Instantly detect near-miss incidents to prevent collisions.

• Online meetings for coordination and inspections: Conduct regular meetings and intermediate inspections via live streaming or web conferences connecting the site with headquarters and authorities. Reduce travel costs and scheduling coordination while keeping records.

By combining IoT and remote monitoring like this, you can achieve visualized safety and progress management even with few personnel. Technology can cover shortages of skilled personnel on site, greatly contributing to alleviating labor shortages and reducing waste from mistakes and accidents.

3. Improve surveying and inspection efficiency with high-precision technologies

Efficiently DX-ing on-site measurement tasks such as surveying and as-built control is another key point for solving labor shortages. Traditionally, surveying work was commonly performed by multiple people: one person operates the surveying instrument (total station, etc.) while another holds the staff at the survey point—this method requires personnel and time, posing a heavy burden when manpower is limited. However, in recent years, technologies that enable one-person surveying have become widespread. With auto-tracking total stations and high-precision GNSS (GPS), a single person can achieve centimeter-level positioning and stakeout. For example, using a receiver that employs the satellite positioning technology RTK-GNSS allows you to complete everything from establishing reference points to obtaining coordinates in a short time. Even if veteran surveyors are scarce, intuitive devices can be handled by on-site personnel themselves, reducing the frequency of outsourcing to external surveying companies. This can lead to reduced surveying costs and shorter construction schedules.

Using drones for surveying and 3D scanners also dramatically improves measurement efficiency. By conducting photogrammetry with a drone from above, you can quickly generate wide-area terrain models and calculate earthwork volumes. If you obtain 3D point cloud data of structures or excavation areas using ground-based laser scanners or tablets equipped with LiDAR sensors, the as-built measurements and quantity calculations that were formerly done manually can be automated. The acquired data can be checked instantly on a tablet, and it is even possible to display as-built deviations with AR on the spot by comparing with the design model. For example, AR technology can color-code the view through a tablet screen to indicate whether excavation depths match the design. This prevents rework and avoids unnecessary construction costs.

By advancing DX in the measurement field like this, a single person can quickly and accurately understand site conditions. High-frequency surveying and inspection without allocating many personnel improves quality control accuracy and reduces rework due to mistakes. As a result, it leads to both labor reduction and cost savings.

(Note: In the above, “centimeter-level positioning” is rendered as cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy) where specifically referenced.)

4. Labor savings through automation of construction equipment and robotized施工

As a trump card to supplement on-site labor shortages, automation of construction equipment and robot utilization are rapidly progressing. To address the decline in skilled operators, an approach that smartens the machinery itself achieves labor savings. For example, ICT-equipped construction machines that load 3D design data and use GPS for position detection to autonomously control bulldozers and excavators are becoming more common. Since machines can automatically perform leveling and excavation without operator input, work time is shortened and high-quality施工 is possible with fewer people. Remote-controlled unmanned施工 is also becoming practical. In hazardous places such as disaster recovery sites where it is dangerous for people to enter, systems that allow remote radio-control of heavy machinery from a safe distance are in use. There are cases in which one operator sequentially controls multiple machines, representing a true example of DX that supplements manpower with machines.

Construction robots for sites are also appearing one after another. Large general contractors have introduced examples such as autonomous robots that巡回して take progress photos and robots that automatically tighten bolts in tunnel construction. There are also unmanned transport vehicles for material handling, rebar-tying robots, and AI robots that inspect concrete reinforcement, among various robot施工 being researched and put into practical use. These not only substitute dangerous tasks to improve safety but also achieve dramatic productivity improvements, completing heavy work that would take a full day in a few hours. Sites troubled by labor shortages should first delegate large-volume, simple tasks to robots so workers can focus on delicate tasks and overall management that only humans can perform.

Through such automation of construction machines and robot utilization, both labor reduction and work quality are becoming achievable. Although initial investment is required, medium- to long-term cost benefits from reduced labor costs and shortened schedules increase. Above all, sites freed from heavy labor become more comfortable to work in, creating a virtuous cycle that helps secure and retain personnel.

5. Optimize planning and pass on skills with 3D models and AI

The final point is to use 3D models (BIM/CIM) and AI to optimize planning and management and share skills and knowledge. In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, three-dimensional data technologies called Building Information Modeling (BIM) and CIM are attracting attention. These centrally manage design drawings and construction plans on 3D models, bridging the gap between drawings and the site to reduce rework and material waste. For example, performing clash checks for piping and steelwork on a BIM model before construction eliminates waste such as having to reattach piping because it interferes with other equipment on site. This results in preventing unnecessary costs and improving quality. Because BIM models can also link quantities and schedule information, estimate and schedule accuracy improves and the uncertainty in planning that leads to long working hours is reduced.

On the other hand, AI (artificial intelligence) usage also contributes to a productivity revolution on site. With AI image analysis, you can automatically judge progress rates and the acceptability of as-built conditions from site photos and notify managers. This allows small teams to maintain quality control over large sites and address issues before they escalate. Systems that learn from vast amounts of past construction data and propose optimal schedules and procedures are also emerging. By supplementing parts that relied on veterans’ “intuition and experience” with data and AI, you can move away from personalized methods and create an environment where anyone can work efficiently. This also ties into skill transfer. For example, initiatives have begun where AI analyzes videos of veteran craftsmen’s work to visualize tips and create manuals. Training young workers using VR and simulators is another example of DX-driven skill succession. It is also possible for veterans to give real-time guidance through AR goggles, enabling younger workers to perform without mistakes, which in turn reduces rework and improves productivity.

Thus, by refining plans and sharing knowledge with 3D models and AI, you can achieve smart, waste-free construction even with a small workforce. Escaping dependence on individuals allows stable quality and efficiency to be maintained even as generations change, leading to long-term cost reductions and preservation of technical capabilities.

Summary and future prospects

As we have seen, promoting Construction DX reveals concrete solutions to on-site problems such as labor shortages, rising costs, and inefficiencies. Starting with digitization and visualization of operations, through high-precision measurement technologies and machine automation, and up to advanced data utilization, gradually introducing DX can build a system that enables safe and reliable project execution with limited resources. DX adoption does not happen overnight, but steady improvements will yield tangible effects. Moreover, promoting DX not only increases efficiency and cuts costs but is also effective for achieving work-style reform and securing young talent. A digitally enabled smart site can dispel the traditional image of construction as “hard, dangerous, and impossible to leave” and become a draw for the next generation of workers.

Going forward, the importance of DX in the construction industry is expected to grow. Even as population declines continue, demand for infrastructure maintenance and disaster recovery will certainly exist, and technology is indispensable to fill that gap. AI and robotic technologies advance year by year, and many processes currently done manually may be automated in the future. To adapt to these changes and survive, it is crucial to take the first step toward DX now.

Start Construction DX with simple surveying using LRTK

Among on-site tasks to introduce Construction DX, surveying is one of the essential basics. One tool to focus on is the latest simple surveying device, “LRTK”. LRTK is a compact GNSS receiver that attaches to a smartphone; when paired with a dedicated app, anyone can easily obtain centimeter-level positioning data. Developed to realize high-precision surveying that previously required expensive, specialized equipment as one-person surveying, LRTK enables site personnel to quickly establish reference points and perform as-built measurements themselves, reducing the need to arrange external surveyors.

The LRTK app also allows 3D point cloud scanning linked with the phone’s camera. High-precision point clouds can be generated from photos and videos and automatically uploaded to the cloud with positioning information, enabling immediate data sharing with office staff. Measurement results can be confirmed on site, and advanced uses such as checking against the design model with AR display are possible. In other words, LRTK alone completes functions necessary for Construction DX such as “positioning,” “3D scanning,” “AR display,” and “cloud sharing.” The main features of LRTK are summarized below.

• Centimeter-level positioning (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)): RTK method significantly reduces GPS errors of several meters (several ft), streamlining reference point setup and stakeout work.

• One-person surveying: Surveying is possible with just a smartphone and a compact device. Tasks that traditionally required two or more people are labor-reduced, enabling rapid response even on sites with staff shortages.

• 3D point cloud scanning: With the dedicated app, simply taking photos yields high-precision 3D point clouds. Usable from terrain surveys to recording buried objects, accuracy and speed improve compared with traditional manual measurement.

• AR-based on-site display: Measurement and design data are overlaid on real camera images. Intuitively check excavation depths and facility layout simulations to prevent mistakes.

• Cloud data sharing: Measured data are saved to the cloud in real time and shared immediately with stakeholders inside and outside the company. Seamlessly link site and office communication to promote collaboration.

LRTK is a practical Construction DX tool that dramatically streamlines on-site surveying and measurement tasks. Even companies struggling with labor shortages can obtain and utilize accurate on-site data with limited personnel by introducing LRTK. As a result, it can greatly contribute to shorter schedules, cost reductions, and improved safety. As a first step in Construction DX, why not introduce such advanced tools to the site? Experiencing DX effects on site will raise motivation for the next improvements and ultimately contribute to productivity gains across the industry.