Evaluation of internet of things (IoT) application areas for sustainable construction

Abstract

PurposeThis purpose of the study is to evaluate areas of application of internet of things (IoT) in the construction industry, with the view of increasing the level of usage of technology. This will help in understanding the areas where IoT can be applied in the construction industry for better improvement.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was adopted for this study, and the adopted questionnaire was structured on a five-point Likert scale to elicit the opinion of respondents in the areas of application of IoT in the construction industry. The respondents included are quantity surveyors, land surveyors, builders, architects and engineers. Bar chart, mean item score, one sample t-test and Kruskal–Wallis H test were used in analyzing the retrieved data.FindingsThe results showed that building information modeling, construction management, remote usage monitoring, equipment services and repair, construction tools and equipment tracking are areas where IoT is mostly applied in the industry. Site monitoring is the only factor that has significant difference in the opinions of professionals, while others do not have. One sample t-test revealed that three factors out of 12 do not have significance attached by professionals.Originality/valueThe study gives insight into different areas where IoT can be applied in the construction industry. It also highlights how its application can be improved through workshops, training, seminar and conference for construction professionals to keep themselves abreast of information and communication technology trends, especially in the aspect of IoT. The IoT adoption helps in accomplishing sustainable infrastructural projects with more convenience.